Prelude: Constructive Madness
We are inherently and intuitively narcissistic. Some of us, of course, vehemently deny that fact. But denying it in itself, though quite natural, is also a narcissistic behaviour. We can’t accept that we’re narcissistic; we can only accept that others are.
Narcissism, however, is not as horrible a behaviour as our hypocritical societies and cultures make it sound. In fact, even if we go back to the holy books, humanity begins with narcissism. How narcissistic one must be even to conceive that one must create another being “in one’s own image” in order to please onself? And how could the being (we) created by and after the image of the most narcissistic being in the universe (divine) not be narcissistic in nature? The more perfect the divine creation ever was the more narcissistic it ever could be.
What we, the inherent narcissistic beings, do to communicate with others, too, can’t be not narcissistic then. It has to be narcissistic. We speak narcissism, we listen to narcissism, we’re comfortable with narcissism, we understand narcissism, we recognise narcissism, we connect with narcissism.
What has happening since the latter half of the 20th century until almost two decades into the 21st century with all these technological, industrial, social, and cultural developments is one fundamental movement: narcissism has gradually been placed front and centre — with more audacity and honesty. It is the fundamental and intrinsic force behind all changes and advancements. And politics has understood and accepted this force long before any others. That’s why politics has been, is, and will always be all about communication and communications — method and means.
Communication is the most narcissistic among all human behaviours. We communicate to fulfil our needs and wants. We can cover this act by all sorts of hypocritical jargons of selflessness, sacrifice, or piety. But at the end, even when we say we’re doing something for others, there is us. The naked truth is that we don’t conceive, say, or act anything that doesn’t include us or our interests at the end or along the way.
It’s madness, yes. But recognising this is a constructive madness. And with this, we can actually build something most natural and rewarding for all of us.