> We also have seen the stratospheric rise of narcisism. > I've wondered if this is a new phenomenon Christopher Lasch in the 70s has a very precise answer to

> We also have seen the stratospheric rise of narcisism. > I've wondered if this is a new phenomenon Christopher Lasch in the 70s has a very precise answer to your question. Narcissism is the inevitable defense mechanism to navigate a society in which all organization of civic and family life are increasingly bureaucratic, state-governed, and transactional, a defense mechanism in a society in which all models and ideals are mediated by imagery and advertisement. In such a society, man cannot but end up with a personality that's hesitant to make close bonds of affection or develop personal loyalty. It is inevitable to nurture insecurities about one's own station in life or one's role in the power structure, about one's physical appearance. To thrive in such a society of impersonal bureaucracy and cult of youth, one almost has, by necessity, to be low key manipulative, congenial on the surface, effortless "cool", preoccupied with projection of identity and youthful vigor. His are two important insights imho: His analysis precedes internet-era, the preconditions are more fundamental than just social media-fueled victim culture. Also, current epidemic of absorption is at its core a survival strategy for a bureaucratic, technisized world; we cannot expect any change unless the relations between labor, family, and state do not fundamentally become less bureaucratic.