Excellent article. I'm curious if the narcissistic rage stems from a hive mentality. People seem to be trained to be narcissistic. Instead of displaying the ability to debate when challenged, people immediately feel triggered into defending their position with name calling. You're a Nazi, a white supremist, a communist, an anti-vaccer. Critical thinking seems to have become a lost art form. I recently asked a substack writer, in a respectful way, to cite the work they were referencing. The immediate response was my mother was a whore. It's just sad.
People say it was just a superstition that mental illness was demons, but I think it is demonic, I just don't think there's a horned creature in someone's body, that's superstition. Was there ever supposed to be anyway if you just go by the Bible? Mental illness is just how evil acts. People still call people who act evil mentally ill a lot, like asking if Hitler is mentally ill. That's also why psychiatrists really fail to treat mental illnesses in my opinion. You can stop the mentally ill from hurting others or themselves by restraining them, but they don't really get better because it's not really fundamentally a medical problem is my opinion, but that's just my opinion.
Certainly some mental illness is demonic. But not all. Mental illness can be, and very often is, physical. Genetic issues can make some people more vulnerable, nutritional deficiencies (i.e. Magnesium), deficiencies with other chemicals that can be supplemented. Traumatic brain injury. Exposure to harmful chemicals, etc.
I went down the rabbit hole of researching about narcissism last week and what surprised me was the similarity between religious text describing “the devil” and a psychological definition of a “highly narcissistic” person.
My stance was, a spectrum of narcissism exists in all of us. So yes, evil is within us. But it’s the narcissistic tendencies that’s the defining difference between “thinking” it and “doing it”. We are all prone to have bad thoughts but not all of us act on it.
I would love to have your opinion on my latest piece. I read up quite a lot of M. Scott Peck (psychiatrist and author of “The People of the Lie” and he seems to have his definition of evil pinned down.
Excellent article. I'm curious if the narcissistic rage stems from a hive mentality. People seem to be trained to be narcissistic. Instead of displaying the ability to debate when challenged, people immediately feel triggered into defending their position with name calling. You're a Nazi, a white supremist, a communist, an anti-vaccer. Critical thinking seems to have become a lost art form. I recently asked a substack writer, in a respectful way, to cite the work they were referencing. The immediate response was my mother was a whore. It's just sad.
Anyway Donn, great observations!
Narcissistic tendencies are not conducive to group actions.
However,
The effects of the herd mind,
Might just help induce tendencies.
Just like a Spirit , can be shared.
Something to think about.
Jung probably had some thoughts on it.
Thank you for replying Donn. I had not thought of it that way. I'm sure Jung has expounded on this.
People say it was just a superstition that mental illness was demons, but I think it is demonic, I just don't think there's a horned creature in someone's body, that's superstition. Was there ever supposed to be anyway if you just go by the Bible? Mental illness is just how evil acts. People still call people who act evil mentally ill a lot, like asking if Hitler is mentally ill. That's also why psychiatrists really fail to treat mental illnesses in my opinion. You can stop the mentally ill from hurting others or themselves by restraining them, but they don't really get better because it's not really fundamentally a medical problem is my opinion, but that's just my opinion.
I think there's two classes.
Those with problems from real world issues, which can be helped , healed.
Anc, the Demonic.
Which has only one healing and it is not of this world.
GOD
Certainly some mental illness is demonic. But not all. Mental illness can be, and very often is, physical. Genetic issues can make some people more vulnerable, nutritional deficiencies (i.e. Magnesium), deficiencies with other chemicals that can be supplemented. Traumatic brain injury. Exposure to harmful chemicals, etc.
I went down the rabbit hole of researching about narcissism last week and what surprised me was the similarity between religious text describing “the devil” and a psychological definition of a “highly narcissistic” person.
My stance was, a spectrum of narcissism exists in all of us. So yes, evil is within us. But it’s the narcissistic tendencies that’s the defining difference between “thinking” it and “doing it”. We are all prone to have bad thoughts but not all of us act on it.
I would love to have your opinion on my latest piece. I read up quite a lot of M. Scott Peck (psychiatrist and author of “The People of the Lie” and he seems to have his definition of evil pinned down.
Wow!
Love this!
Impressive essay!