I am also going to admit that after reading the assignment from my Conscious Conflict class this week, (Dignity, by Dr. Donna Hicks) I came away with concerns about the ways in which she discussed the parameters of a narcissist.
In Hick's discussion of narcissism, numerous questions arose...Do I fear exposing my “inadequacy and worthlessness to the world?” As a child did I occassionally go “without the experience of being seen, responded to, and valued as an individual of intrinsic value?” Did I “not develop an internalized sense of worthiness”...that caused me to seek a “false dignity” that comes “from the external image rather than from the self itself?” (Hicks, p. 132)
This is where it gets tricky, because living in this culture, who among us cannot identify with such things? In work like this, subtle yet important distinctions are very important. The Hicks text lacks clarification of the nuances.
I empathize that such things can be difficult to express in writing, particularly when human behavior is not always cut and dried. I think of my own definitions of apology and forgiveness. What these words meant to me at 10 years old, at 30 years old, versus what they mean to me now hold vastly different understandings. How can I express those differences effectively to any audience? It is a challenge. When we choose our terms, we need to chose carefully.
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