Do egotists and Narcissists choose the philosophy which makes them look good?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I'm wondering if people choose philosophical materialism or forms of moral irrealism because under it they are completely vindicated and such philosophies provide salvation for the ego.

This of course would be impossible in world views and religions which cause for repentance, trust, or at least a start from moral need or need of enlightenment since these call for a recognition of deficit.

[Sebastian Toe]

I'm wondering if people choose philosophical materialism or forms of moral irrealism because under it they are completely vindicated and such philosophies provide salvation for the ego.

This of course would be impossible in world views and religions which cause for repentance, trust, or at least a start from moral need or need of enlightenment since these call for a recognition of deficit.

You what luv?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

You what luv?

I'm wondering if people choose philosophical materialism or forms of moral irrealism because under it they are completely vindicated and such philosophies provide salvation for the ego.

This of course would be impossible in world views and religions which cause for repentance, trust, or at least a start from moral need or need of enlightenment since these call for a recognition of deficit.

[Rhiannon]

Don't use the term 'narcissist' without knowing what the fuck it means.

[Shaker]

Don't use the term 'narcissist' without knowing what the fuck it means.

That's Vlad's vocabulary scaled back to 'yes', 'no' and 'potato', I fear.

[Sebastian Toe]

I'm wondering if people choose philosophical materialism or forms of moral irrealism because under it they are completely vindicated and such philosophies provide salvation for the ego.

This of course would be impossible in world views and religions which cause for repentance, trust, or at least a start from moral need or need of enlightenment since these call for a recognition of deficit.

Google translate has been defeated with that one!

[splashscuba]

I'm wondering if people choose philosophical materialism or forms of moral irrealism because under it they are completely vindicated and such philosophies provide salvation for the ego.

This of course would be impossible in world views and religions which cause for repentance, trust, or at least a start from moral need or need of enlightenment since these call for a recognition of deficit.

Was this generated by a bot ?

[Shaker]

Was this generated by a bot ?

As in an arse, you mean? 

[ProfessorDavey]

I'm wondering if people choose philosophical materialism or forms of moral irrealism because under it they are completely vindicated and such philosophies provide salvation for the ego.

This of course would be impossible in world views and religions which cause for repentance, trust, or at least a start from moral need or need of enlightenment since these call for a recognition of deficit.

I would have thought that the ideal philosophy for a egotist or narcissist would be one where you are considered to be chosen and special to some super-human entity (which you cannot actually prove exists) and also that only you and your fellow believers will enjoy eternal paradise while everyone else is consigned to damnation.

Perfect for egotists and narcissists.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I would have thought that the ideal philosophy for a egotist or narcissist would be one where you are considered to be chosen and special to some super-human entity (which you cannot actually prove exists) and also that only you and your fellow believers will enjoy eternal paradise while everyone else is consigned to damnation.

Perfect for egotists and narcissists.

Great at least somebody spotted my point.

No. Egotists not only want to be the final word in what is but they also want to be the architect of there own greatness with no hint of deference to anything greater.

Poor attempt at reversing the charges Prof.

[ProfessorDavey]

No. Egotists not only want to be the final word in what is but they also want to be the architect of there own greatness with no hint of deference to anything greater.

I disagree - surely the greatest ego-trip for an egotist is to invent a superhuman entity and then get that self-made entity tell you how special and chosen you are.

An egotist needs someone to massage that ego - no use getting someone the same as you to do it (how does that demonstrate the egotist to be better or more important) - so much better to make up a deity to massage your ego and to demonstrate how much better and more important you are than mere non-believers. Perfect philosophy for an egotist.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I disagree - surely the greatest ego-trip for an egotist is to invent a superhuman entity and then get that self-made entity tell you how special and chosen you are.

An egotist needs someone to massage that ego - no use getting someone the same as you to do it (how does that demonstrate the egotist to be better or more important) - so much better to make up a deity to massage your ego and to demonstrate how much better and more important you are than mere non-believers. Perfect philosophy for an egotist.

Misses the component of repentance.
I don't think God is in the ego massaging business.

[ProfessorDavey]

Misses the component of repentance.
I don't think God is in the ego massaging business.

Not at all - it's the classic circular argument ego-trip.

Create a deity - get him to tell you that you are 'special' and 'chosen' - all you have to do is worship and repent to the deity you have created (which is, in effect an extension of your own ego). No need to actually bother with the troublesome business of accountability to your fellow people - so much better to be accountable merely to a manifestation of your own super-ego.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Not at all - it's the classic circular argument ego-trip.

Create a deity - get him to tell you that you are 'special' and 'chosen' - all you have to do is worship and repent to the deity you have created (which is, in effect an extension of your own ego). No need to actually bother with the troublesome business of accountability to your fellow people - so much better to be accountable merely to a manifestation of your own super-ego.

Hark, is that the sound of the straw man cavalry attracted by this post? Well, no.

Logic and reason still favour my thesis.

[ProfessorDavey]

Hark, is that the sound of the straw man cavalry attracted by this post? Well, no.

Which translates to 'help - I've been rumbled, have no reasonable report so I'll chuck out the old 'straw-man' diversionary tactic'.

Logic and reason still favour my thesis.

What thesis - you have produced a sentence or two of complete gobbledegook without any cogent argument in support.

By contrast my suggestion (I certain wouldn't call it a thesis - they tend to take years of diligent work to produce) is coherent and logical - the only necessary requirement is an acceptance that deities are created by man (not an unreasonable assumption as there is no evidence that they exist outside of the minds of those who believe in them). From there the notion fits well with the concept of super-ego (look it up if you don't understand what that means) and you are comfortably in the world of the egotist.

To summarise a situation in which an individual creates a deity (or perpetuates this man made deity via super-ego), considers themselves special and chosen in the eyes of this manifestation of their own super-ego and considers themselves morally responsible only to this manifestation of their own super-ego.

Perfect philosophy for an egotist.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Which translates to 'help - I've been rumbled, have no reasonable report so I'll chuck out the old 'straw-man' diversionary tactic'.
What thesis - you have produced a sentence or two of complete gobbledegook without any cogent argument in support.

By contrast my suggestion (I certain wouldn't call it a thesis - they tend to take years of diligent work to produce) is coherent and logical - the only necessary requirement is an acceptance that deities are created by man (not an unreasonable assumption as there is no evidence that they exist outside of the minds of those who believe in them). From there the notion fits well with the concept of super-ego (look it up if you don't understand what that means) and you are comfortably in the world of the egotist.

To summarise a situation in which an individual creates a deity (or perpetuates this man made deity via super-ego), considers themselves special and chosen in the eyes of this manifestation of their own super-ego and considers themselves morally responsible only to this manifestation of their own super-ego.

Perfect philosophy for an egotist.

Rumbled? No?
Firstly we can apply Ockhams razor to your argument that an egotist needs something greater than themselves, to then repent to, and then follow....when all is needed is the egotist as the self made arbiter of his own magnificence. Not to mention that these three behaviours are one's that we would least expect from an egotist.

Then we have the create a God thing when the egotist already holds that position by their own esteem...Again Ockhams Razor.

Then the invocation of a super ego. Presumably an egotist, definitionally, has less recourse to a super ego than a non egotist and yet here you are bringing one in.
I think you are the one who needs to be looking things up.

[ProfessorDavey]

Rumbled? No?
Firstly we can apply Ockhams razor to your argument that an egotist needs something greater than themselves, to then repent to, and then follow....when all is needed is the egotist as the self made arbiter of his own magnificence.

Then we have the create a God thing when the egotist already holds that position by their own esteem...Again Ockhams Razor.

Then the invocation of a super ego. Presumably an egotist, definitionally, has less recourse to a super ego than a non egotist and yet here you are bringing one in.
I think you are the one who needs to be looking things up.

Read the first chapter of the Bible and tell me this isn't the biggest ego trip going. And even more so if, like me, you consider deities as man made creations.

Note in particular verses 26-28.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Read the first chapter of the Bible and tell me this isn't the biggest ego trip going.

It isn't the biggest ego trip going.

[trippymonkey]

Whose is - and YOU'RE not counted.? Or me ?!!?!? HA HA

[Nearly Sane]

It isn't the biggest ego trip going.

Lol, Vlad! i liked that one.

[ProfessorDavey]

It isn't the biggest ego trip going.

Really - let's summarise.

God creates everything and then decides to create something in his own image, i.e. man (that's a pretty sizeable ego trip if you are man - created in the image of god). And then God tells you that you are in charge of everything else - so not only are you created in the image of God but you have dominion over everything else.

And of course if you consider that God to be actually a creation of man then the ego trip is amplified further - we created a divine entity to tell us that we are divine-like (created in his image) and also to tell us that everything else is our play-thing.

Just in case you've forgotten these are the words (KJV):

'1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Really - let's summarise.

God creates everything and then decides to create something in his own image, i.e. man (that's a pretty sizeable ego trip if you are man - created in the image of god). And then God tells you that you are in charge of everything else - so not only are you created in the image of God but you have dominion over everything else.

That applies to everyone though and as such is not a doctrine which suits the egotist.

[ProfessorDavey]

That applies to everyone though and as such is not a doctrine which suits the egotist.

Firstly that misunderstands what an egotist is. An egotist is a person with an overblown sense of their own importance - you can't really get a more overblown sense of your own important than thinking you are created in the image of god. It matters not whether others also think that too.

But secondly, of course the bible nails this issue pretty quickly - rapidly moving towards a situation where only a few (the chosen ones) are really special in the eyes of god - adding a sense of superiority to the established overblown sense of importance.

So what better philosophy for an egotist than one where you believe that you are special in the eyes of god, created in the image of god and also that you enjoy a special relationship with god that others don't. If you believe all that I think that is entirely consistent with having an overblown sense of your own importance.

[Bubbles]

It depends on how you see " made in the image of God"

It can mean just acknowledging that mankind knows the difference between good and bad so being more responsible for your actions.
It could be seen as an ideology which says you should be a better person, rather than an ego thing.

It doesn't have to be a way of having an overblown sense of your own importance.

You can be an atheist and very qualified and have an overblown sense of your own importance.

It depends on the individual.

I think anyone can pick up just about any ideology, religious or otherwise and be very egotistical.

[trippymonkey]

For me, the more we all go on about the Bible & 'who-what' wrote it that it becomes a work of belief & not based on any facts.
I mean, how can you prove so much if not ALL of books such as Genesis, anyway?