As I noted in the speedlinks this morning, I have incurred the wrath of Gagdad Bob, as he has taken note of my little blog in a post condemning those who disagree with him.
He makes fun of my use of Spiral Dynamics terminology to assess his blog's stance, which simply shows his ignorance about SDi -- no big deal, SDi is still pretty insular. But he also refers to IOC as a wacky new age website. Surely, I am more of post-modern relativist than a wacky New Ager!
Bob has updated his orginal post to diagnose me as a "infrarational crystal gazer." First, I am irrational on occasion, but seldom rise to the level of infrarational. Second, the only crystals I know anything about involve frozen water.
After finding a link to One Cosmos a while back on a friend's blog, I read Bob for a week or so and then gave up. But I have read enough to form an initial impression. So rather than use SDi terminology, I will use language Bob can grasp, language from his own profession.
So let me diagnose Bob. My sense of the persona Bob projects on One Cosmos is of an authoritarian personality (and worldview) with a deep undercurrent of narcissism. Now, please let it be known that I am not a psychologist and I do not play one on TV.
Nacissism defined:
If you spend some time on Bob's blog, you may see more than five of these criteria in evidence. Again, I am not a psychologist -- but Bob is.At least five of the following are necessary for a diagnosis:
- has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
- is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
- believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by other special or high-status people (or institutions, eg: Harvard and other Ivy League institutions)
- requires excessive admiration
- has a strong sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
- takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
- lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
- is often envious or believes others are envious of him or her
- has arrogant affect, haughty behaviors or attitudes
- (see also full list in DSM-IV-TR)
Please let me say that I feel honored to engage in a pissing war with such a distinguished intellect and such a clearly self-important person. I am awed.
3 comments:
Bill, before I read your post, I posted a comment on Bob's blog in the thread that mentioned you. It will be interesting to see how long it remains there and whether it receives ANY substantive responses.
Well, it looks like my comment is still there. But Bob did predictably call me an ineducable "troll" and instructed people not to respond to me. :-)
Now look what you've done, nagarjuna. You've dragged poor Bill into the tarpit with you.
Wait a minute. Bob told me not to respond to you, and Bob's got me hyp-no-tized.
Nevermind.
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