Narcissism vs. Egocentrism (or Egoism)
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the concept of egoism, tracing its origins and impact on society. It highlights the rise of narcissism and the decline in empathy, as evidenced by sociological studies. Drawing from Kabbalah, it explains the nature of human desires and their fleeting fulfillment, suggesting that true satisfaction lies in transcending egoism. The script advocates for a shift in intention, proposing that by perceiving others as extensions of ourselves, we can achieve a higher form of pleasure and fulfillment.
Takeaways
- 🌱 **Egoism Origin**: The concept of egoism is rooted in the Latin word 'ego', which signifies self-centered behavior prioritizing one's own benefit over others.
- 📈 **Narcissism Trend**: Research by Jean Twenge indicates a 70% increase in narcissism among students over the past 25 years, reflecting an inflated self-esteem often disconnected from reality.
- 🔍 **Empathy Decline**: Mark Davis's empathy test results show a 40% decrease in sympathy levels compared to the 1980s and 1990s, suggesting a generational decrease in sensitivity to others' issues.
- 🌐 **Desire Dynamics**: Kabbalah explains that egoism is based on the desire to fulfill oneself, with fulfillment being temporary and leading to a continuous pursuit of higher quality pleasures.
- 💔 **Consequences of Fulfillment**: The temporary nature of fulfillment leaves individuals feeling devastated, which paradoxically fuels a greater desire for pleasure, perpetuating dissatisfaction.
- 🏛️ **Environmental Influence**: Desires are shaped by the environment, with societal values like money, power, and knowledge cultivating specific desires in individuals.
- 🧘 **Desire Nullification**: Kabbalah suggests that nullifying desires can reduce suffering, though in modern times, this is challenging due to the ever-growing nature of egoism.
- 🤔 **Entitlement to Pleasure**: Many people feel entitled to pleasure, which can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment, as seen in the high divorce rates despite optimistic views at marriage.
- 🔄 **Desire as Essence**: Desire is an inherent part of human nature, ranging from basic needs to social ambitions, and is not inherently good or bad but rather how it is implemented.
- 💖 **Intention Inversion**: To rise above egoism, one should change their intention, perceiving others as extensions of oneself, which can lead to actions that genuinely fulfill others' needs.
- 🌟 **Perfect Pleasure**: The ultimate pleasure, according to Kabbalah, comes from using one's desires to fulfill others, creating a cycle of infinite fulfillment and mutual satisfaction.
Q & A
What does the term 'egoism' originate from and what does it signify?
-The term 'egoism' comes from the Latin word 'ego,' which means 'I,' signifying a person's behavior when they think only of their own benefit without considering others.
What is the mythological origin of the term 'narcissism'?
-The term 'narcissism' originates from the Greek myth of Narcissus, a handsome young man who fell in love with his own reflection and was transformed into a flower named after him.
According to Gene Twangy's research, what is the trend in narcissism levels among students over the past 25 years?
-Gene Twangy's research from the University of San Diego indicates that the level of narcissism among students has increased by 70 percent over the past 25 years.
What is the general trend in empathy levels among students, as shown by Mark Davis' empathy test?
-Mark Davis' empathy test results over 30 years with 13,700 students show that levels of sympathy have decreased by 40 percent compared to the 1980s and 1990s.
How does Kabbalah describe the basis of egoism?
-Kabbalah describes the basis of egoism as the desire to fill oneself in every possible way.
What are the characteristics of desire fulfillment according to Kabbalah?
-According to Kabbalah, desire fulfillment is temporary, higher quality pleasures last longer, the disappearance of fulfillment leads to devastation, and desires are controlled by the environment.
How can one reduce suffering according to Kabbalah?
-Kabbalah suggests that if desires can be nullified, then suffering can be reduced, although it acknowledges that egoism grows and is impossible to extinguish completely.
What is the societal role in cultivating desires?
-Society cultivates social desires in a person, such as the desire for money, power, and knowledge.
What is the perspective of Kabbalah on the implementation of desire?
-Kabbalah suggests that desire by itself is neither good nor bad, but the problem lies in how it is implemented, often at the expense of others, which is termed as 'healthy egoism.'
How does the script suggest we should deal with our egoism?
-The script suggests that instead of eliminating egoism, we should rise above it by changing our intention to love our neighbor as ourselves, feeling them as we feel ourselves.
What is the secret to perfect pleasure according to the script?
-The secret to perfect pleasure is to use the force of our desire to fulfill the other person's needs because we feel them as we feel ourselves, leading to an infinitely fulfilled desire.
Outlines
🌱 The Growth of Egoism and Narcissism
This paragraph delves into the concept of egoism, tracing its origins to the Latin word 'ego' and its evolution through generations to become a pervasive characteristic of modern society. It contrasts egoism with narcissism, a term derived from the Greek myth of Narcissus, to illustrate the inflated self-love that often disconnects individuals from reality. The script cites research by sociologist Jean Twenge, indicating a 70% increase in narcissism among students over the past 25 years and a 40% decrease in empathy. It also explores the Kabbalistic perspective on egoism as a desire for self-fulfillment, which is fleeting and leads to a cycle of dissatisfaction and pursuit of new pleasures. The paragraph concludes with the suggestion that while desires are inherent and not inherently negative, the way they are implemented, often at the expense of others, is what constitutes 'healthy egoism', yet it results in unhappiness.
🔄 Transforming Egoism Through Intention
The second paragraph discusses the transformation of egoism from a self-centered drive to a force for good through the alteration of intention. It suggests that while desires are powerful and inherent, they can be channeled positively by perceiving others as extensions of oneself. This shift in perception leads to actions that are not based on what one thinks the other person needs, but rather on what they truly desire, as one would want for themselves. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of changing one's intention rather than eliminating desires, proposing a model where a strong desire is paired with an intention to love one's neighbor as oneself. This approach is said to lead to a perfect pleasure where one's desire is not only fulfilled but also grows infinitely, aligning with Kabbalistic teachings.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Egoism
💡Narcissism
💡Empathy
💡Kabbalah
💡Desire
💡Fulfillment
💡Intention
💡Divorce
💡Suffering
💡Meditation
💡Pleasure
Highlights
Egoism is a driving force of nature, originating from the Latin word 'ego' meaning 'I'.
Narcissism, or excessive self-love, is linked to the Greek myth of Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection.
Research by Gene Twangy shows a 70% increase in narcissism among students over the past 25 years.
Empathy levels have decreased by 40% compared to the 1980s and 1990s, according to Mark Davis' empathy test.
Kabbalah suggests that egoism is rooted in the desire to fill oneself in every possible way.
Desire fulfillment is temporary and quickly disappears, leading to a constant pursuit of new pleasures.
Higher quality pleasures, such as fame, last longer than lower quality ones like food.
Unfulfilled desires can lead to feelings of devastation, fueling a cycle of wanting more pleasure.
Desires are shaped and controlled by the environment, with society cultivating desires for money, power, and knowledge.
Kabbalah posits that nullifying desires can reduce suffering, though it acknowledges the difficulty of completely extinguishing egoism.
People often feel entitled to pleasure, which can contribute to high divorce rates in the Western world.
Desire is an essential part of human nature, ranging from basic needs like food and sleep to social desires for wealth and glory.
Desire itself is neutral; the challenge lies in how it is implemented and often at the expense of others.
The pursuit of pleasure often results in dissatisfaction and a continuous search for new sources of fulfillment.
Changing one's intention, rather than eliminating desire, can lead to a more fulfilling and empathetic approach to life.
Kabbalah teaches that by perceiving others as ourselves, we can use our desires to fulfill them in a way that brings perfect pleasure.
The secret to perfect pleasure is to feel others' needs as our own, using our desires to fulfill them authentically.
Transcripts
[Music]
egoism is a driving force of nature the
term egoism comes from the latin word
ego which means i signifying a person's
behavior such as when he thinks only of
his own benefit without considering
others our egoism is constantly growing
from generation to generation we are
less and less considerate of other
people the virus of narcissism
narcissism is excessive self-love
inflated self-esteem which in most cases
has nothing to do with reality
the term comes from the greek myth of
narcissus a handsome young man who did
not notice anyone but himself he
rejected the love of the nymph echo and
eventually unrequitedly fell in love
with his own reflection and turned into
a flower named after him according to
the research of sociologist gene twangy
from university of san diego over the
past 25 years the level of narcissism
among students has increased by 70
percent less sympathy these are the
results of research conducted using mark
davis empathy test
during 30 years 13 700 students were
tested the results showed that to date
levels of sympathy have decreased by 40
percent compared to the 80s and 90s
every year students become less and less
sensitive to the problems of others
kabbalah says that the basis of egoism
is the desire the desire to fill oneself
in every way possible
let's see how our desire works
one fulfillment even if we have invested
a lot of effort to achieve it it is felt
only for a short time and then
disappears
two the higher the quality of pleasure
the longer it lasts
for example the pleasure from fame lasts
longer than the pleasure from food
because it is higher in quality three
the disappearance of fulfillment leaves
us feeling doubly devastated
this is in order for a person to want
even more pleasure until he realizes
that it is impossible to fulfill himself
and consequently gets completely
disappointed in his egoism four desires
are controlled only by the environment
it is society that cultivates social
desires in a person money power and
knowledge five if desires can be
nullified then the suffering can be
reduced one can immerse oneself in
meditation or retire to a monastery
however today this doesn't help much
according to kabbalah egoism grows and
it is impossible to extinguish it we
have to work with it
6. a person feels that he is entitled to
pleasure two out of five marriages in
the western world end in divorce yet if
you ask newlyweds what their chances of
failure are almost all of them will say
that they are slim
desire is our essence are material that
begins from simple needs such as food
and sleep and ends with social ones such
as desires for wealth glory and
knowledge
desire by itself is neither good or bad
the problem is how to implement it and
we implement it at the expense of others
this is called healthy egoism
everything would be fine but eventually
we are unhappy nevertheless
in diving to the bottom of pleasure we
bring up more gravel than pearls honored
de balzac one does not die with half
one's wish in one's hand midrash rabbah
kohelet all this is the result of the
way we are arranged the fulfillment
kills the desire itself the results are
constant dissatisfaction and the pursuit
of new pleasures what can we do we can't
change the desire to enjoy
it is necessary to change the intention
namely to invert our own perception of
the other person to feel him as
ourselves from within
and already from this new sensation
various courses of action will be
unfolding
we should try not to eliminate our
egoism but rather just to rise above it
that is the scheme is as follows inside
there is a desire which is huge powerful
and ours and above it we build an
intention to love your neighbor as
yourself
it turns out that we use all the force
of our desire to fill the other
at that we do not do for him what we
think he needs or help him because we
enjoy it otherwise we would not be
helping him
we do exactly what he wants he that is
so because we feel him as we feel
ourselves and so we continue each one in
regards to everyone else
this is the secret of the perfect
pleasure to which we all aspire our
desire does not diminish but on the
contrary grows and gets infinitely
fulfilled
this is what kabbalah teaches
[Music]
you
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