Without Our Tribe We Become Narcissistic

Narcissism Is Increasing. So You’re Not So Special

By Arthur C. Brooks, Feb. 13 2016 (LINK to article)

The fact is that the world does appear to revolve around ME, and it is my pain and pleasures which I experience directly. Those of others pass me by almost completely. It is the rare exception when they don't, when it is some one I feel close to and empathise with, and even then, its hardly the same. One may be distraught at a loved-one's pain, but you still can't actually feel it.

It is also a fact that we evolved as a member of a tribe, whose well-being and survival was more important than the individual, which resulted in us evolving to experience more profound pleasure from serving our tribe than just ourselves.

Then along came the state and did away with our original tribes, with the modern, "nation state" deceitfully posing as our tribe or nation itself, in order to legitimise itself, its ruling elites and the immense power they wield and abuse, not for the benefit of society at large, as they claim, but to facilitate its SELF-exploitation to their own, personal advantage and that of favoured (especially wealthy and academic) clients, at the expense (and ultimate self-destruction) of society at large.

Why is this not recognised by the academics we look to as authorities in understanding society, the state and civilisation?

Because the deceit works for them, as it does for everyone who is anyone in society, thus binding us to a tragic cycle of civilisational boom and bust.

As western civilisation approaches the bust phase of this cycle, the question is, can we put an end to it, BEFORE it puts an end to us?  We have the potential, I am sure, but do we have the will? Time will tell.

America is NOT a Nation

The Real Victims of Victimhood

By Arthur C. Brooks Dec. 26, 2015 (LINK to article)

"It is still in our hands to . .  cultivate a nation of strong individuals . . . "

This might make some sense if America were in fact a nation, but it is not, nor any other state I know of, but a mercenary "patron state" deceitfully posing as a nation, in order to legitimise itself, its ruling elites and the immense power they wield and abuse, to their own personal advantage and that of favoured (especially wealthy and academic) clients, at the expense of society at large.

What the state does is to conflate and confound very different aspects of the original tribal environment in which human nature evolved, long before the first states and civilisation emerged from it. It poses as our nation (intra- and inter-tribal environment), while at the same time facilitating society's self-exploitation (as an extra-tribal environment), which must ultimately lead to its self-destruction.

The academics we look to as authorities in understanding society and the state fail to recognise this profound truth, because they are themselves privileged clients (if not actual employees) of their respective "patron state", with a massive personal self-interest (subconscious more than conscious) in rationalising and defending its role, self-image (as our "nation") and ideologies (social, political, economic and racial, formerly religious), on which the state bases its claim to moral and knowledgeable authority (see BLOG in which I elaborate).