Lasch Boggled My Mind.

Diana Papa

I would like to say some things about Christopher Lasch’s The Culture of Narcissism. When I first read Dr. Nerio’s notes I was interested in the topic but I could not get myself into it. Maybe I had other things on my mind at the time; however I read over the many  quotes and phrases I highlighted and the message became clearer to me.

I am not sure if I still fully understand what Lasch wants to get across to us. Maybe I need to read more into it. The notes make me understand the term narcissim in a different way now. A lot more comes with the term when I read it now. Of course, I did relate the notes to my life and I found myself asking, “Do I feel or act  this way, this inner emptiness that is narcissism.”(symptoms of protective shallowness, a fear of binding commitment, a willingness to pull up roots whenever the need arose, a desire to keep one’s options open, a dislike on depending on anyone, an incapacity for loyality or gratitude.” I don’t think I do, but then again maybe I’m just rationalizing my way out of it.

I 100% agree with Lasch when he explains that “personality is the reproduction of society in the indiviual.” We are all the very products of society and our society is the product of us as a community, its like our community is our huge, singular personality.

I would like to keep reading Lasch because I am now interested in his ideas. It was and still is hard for me to articulate the things that he made me think while i was reading and reflecting.