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Ayn Rand - Narcissist?

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RationalBiker

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While perusing new book releases I came across this book;

Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life by Linda Martinez-Lewi.

It looked interesting until I read this part in the book description;

Drawing on detailed profiles of famous narcissists, including Pablo Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Armand Hammer, and Ayn Rand, as well as expertly rendered case studies from her private practice as a psychotherapist, Martinez-Lewi shows how to: - understand where narcissistic behavior comes from; u learn to spot narcissistic traits,

????? Ayn Rand a narcissist??

Wow. In fairness, I haven't read the book to see her claims, but I highly skeptical at this point.

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This link tells more about the book:

http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/boo...ks.php?id=17799

Narcissist:

• A grandiose sense of self-importance

• A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

• A belief that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people

• A high sense of entitlement

• Is interpersonally exploitative

• Lacks empathy

• Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

• Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

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I hate the term "narcissist" - it attempts to extinguish any reason that a person might have of being proud of their accomplishments, with uses of words like "grandiose" and "fantasies". As if none of these people achieved greatness in their fields (Picasso is debatable)? I don't consider it a valid mental disorder, because as we all know, people are only lonely when they (and those around them) have are convinced that being social is inherently important.

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Actually, to be perfectly accurate, the author's description of narcissism is not actually how the mental health profession classifies narcissism. I think she is using the popular definition for narcissism and passing it off as the medical definition. In actual narcissism, in the pathology, it's not necessary for the person to really like themselves. Self-obsession is sufficient. It's possible for them to even have low self-esteem.

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• A high sense of entitlement

• Is interpersonally exploitative

• Lacks empathy

• Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

• Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

How on Earth could the author judge whether Rand exhibited those traits if he hadn't ever met her in person?

Edited by lex_aver
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Pablo Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Armand Hammer, and Ayn Rand

Hmmm, I don't know about you, but when I look at that list I'm not thinking "I don't want to be like these people." I'm thinking "Wow, those are some great achievers!" The only one on there I'm not so fond of is Picasso, but his non-cubist work was damn good!

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Hmmm, I don't know about you, but when I look at that list I'm not thinking "I don't want to be like these people." I'm thinking "Wow, those are some great achievers!" The only one on there I'm not so fond of is Picasso, but his non-cubist work was damn good!

Armand Hammer was one of those useful idiots who sold the Soviets rope with which to hang us.

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