I am going to take some time to cover narcissism as it relates to my understanding of Mother’s behaviors. I have recently taken a deep dive into this area, relatively new as psychological diagnoses go.

I became drawn to understanding more about narcissism as I watched events unfold across “The Pond,” where I am descendant from. At Queen Elizabeth’s death, I became aware of the actions of some family members and youtube commentators who connected behaviors I was witnessing on my computer screen, to other people who have weaved their way in and out of my life.

In addition, I have been observing the “entitlement generations” rise, culminating with my professorial years. I gasped as children were allowed to spell and write any way they chose, and then do math creatively. We couldn’t recognize gifted children as other kids would feel bad.

Everybody wins at everything. And then the ultimate, the fastest runner doesn’t win the race, it is the one who came closest to estimating their finish time.

I could go into the effects of social constructionism, dominating our universities for decades, forcefully in vogue while completing my advanced degrees. Just briefly, this philosophy pushes the limits from listening to other points of view, sharing other ways of thinking to now, “my truth is right and you are wrong.” This results in all the hate talk we are bombarded with, no attempt to find common ground or gain understanding.

Without some basic basis for “Truth,” a civilization cannot survive. We devolve into a culture of feelings, tipping the balance with logical thinking. Toss in social media, dubbed the “narcissist playground,” the effects of which is a  phenomenon for social scientist to study for generations to come.