megimoo
05-31-2009, 04:51 PM
Mega-egos
Let us consider the mega-ego, a sub-species of humanity that has always been with us, and flourishes today in America. We know them from the media and from our surroundings.
Every village tavern has its old soak who, between drinks, will rant for hours, solving all of the world's problems in a loud confident voice. But occasionally, such a man becomes influential, or even a celebrity, and his cocksure pronouncements are listened to seriously. He gladly drinks in this adulation and his over nourished ego swells.
History is full of mega-egos, all too often as conquerors and dictators. Judging from his writings and the memoirs of his associates, Hitler was a classic case. Roosevelt was probably another. I have had the privilege of being in the audience of a few of the more eminent ones:
Sometime in the late 1950's, Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery, First Viscount of Alamein, paid a visit to the California Institute of Technology.
Since no auditorium was big enough to hold the expected crowd, his address was held in the athletic stadium. The General strode out and, after the applause, announced that, instead of talking about El Alamain or WWII or present world affairs, he would review and correct the legends about himself. He then proceeded to set the record straight: what he said to the cab driver about Rommel was true, what he supposedly said to Churchill was not, and so on, legend by legend. Two hours later, the crowd staggered away with more Montgomeriana than they could digest. Had they wanted more, he could have gladly accommodated them.
Just before the 1972 election, I visited some liberal friends near Boston who puckishly dragged me to a McGovern rally, where the featured speaker was to be John Kenneth Galbraith, whom George Will recently credited with turning liberalism into "a doctrine of condescension".
As my hosts well knew, I loathed Galbraith and was therefore in something of a panic. Suppose I found that, when I saw and heard him in person, I actually liked the man.
My fears proved groundless. He came out and talked down to his audience and explained to them, in little words so that they could understand, why any sane person would prefer McGovern to Nixon.
I walked away, relieved that he had proven even more smugly detestable than I had dared to hope.
One Saturday morning, I tuned in to LA's cultural radio station, into the middle of an interview. For half an hour, the anonymous celebrity condescendingly explained what Eisenhower should have done, what blunders Johnson had made, and what the country should do now. I knew I was listening to a truly wonderful mega-ego and went down the list. He couldn't be Galbraith or, from the lack of accent, Kissinger. I finally concluded that he must be Gore Vidal. I was right.
These examples demonstrate the surprising fact that mega-egos need not be stupid. Sometimes they are, sometimes they are experts in one field who think they are experts in everything, and in a few cases they can be brilliant.
They usually have at least a sly cunning that, if overlooked, can enable them to triumph over their intellectual betters.
Their principle characteristics, whether they are dimwits or geniuses, are a swollen self-image and an unshakable confidence in their omniscience.
Admittedly, narcissists have the same characteristics. To misquote Dryden:
"Mega-egos are sure to narcissists close allied
And thin partitions do their bounds divide."
However, they can easily be distinguished by their reaction to criticism. Mega-egos patronizingly dismiss your stupid lack of appreciation of their wisdom while narcissists become touchy and defensive. One might infer that mega-egos are sure of their greatness while narcissists try to suppress subconscious doubts.
Mega-egos are by no means the worst egotists. Indeed, their avidity for the admiration and praise of others -- a warped desire which theologians call "human respect" -- really betrays a touching humility; they do care what others think of them.
True, they can do considerable damage, but other types are more dangerous. An underdeveloped ego, such as Nixon's, can wreak havoc because of its tortured insecurity.
At the other end of the spectrum, far beyond the capacities of a mere mega-ego, too intelligent and too self-confident to need the adulation of the mob, lies the giga-ego.
Quiet, unobtrusive, and utterly sure of himself, he can do immeasurably more harm than a pack of mega-egos.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/megaegos.html
.................
Comments:
What happens when you get a bunch of egomaniacs heading, funding and directing a political party? Danger, danger, danger, because despite flawed results and disaster after disaster they still believe they can do no wrong. And all of them are willing to sacrifice you and everyone and everything else to prove it too.
..................................
A great line about Obama>>
"the self-idolizing overconfidence leads to a reckless irresponsibility that resembles a toddler in control of a bulldozer."
............................
In the world of mega- and giga-egos, surgeons surpass even rock stars. I know; I was married to a really superb one (in the O.R.) for 35 years. Perhaps this attitude is understandable, since in the O.R., they must be and are responsible for every aspect of any procedure, including assistance and anesthesia.
But the problem comes when they cannot leave this at the hospital. Nobody can live with them. Nobody!
................................
Let us consider the mega-ego, a sub-species of humanity that has always been with us, and flourishes today in America. We know them from the media and from our surroundings.
Every village tavern has its old soak who, between drinks, will rant for hours, solving all of the world's problems in a loud confident voice. But occasionally, such a man becomes influential, or even a celebrity, and his cocksure pronouncements are listened to seriously. He gladly drinks in this adulation and his over nourished ego swells.
History is full of mega-egos, all too often as conquerors and dictators. Judging from his writings and the memoirs of his associates, Hitler was a classic case. Roosevelt was probably another. I have had the privilege of being in the audience of a few of the more eminent ones:
Sometime in the late 1950's, Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery, First Viscount of Alamein, paid a visit to the California Institute of Technology.
Since no auditorium was big enough to hold the expected crowd, his address was held in the athletic stadium. The General strode out and, after the applause, announced that, instead of talking about El Alamain or WWII or present world affairs, he would review and correct the legends about himself. He then proceeded to set the record straight: what he said to the cab driver about Rommel was true, what he supposedly said to Churchill was not, and so on, legend by legend. Two hours later, the crowd staggered away with more Montgomeriana than they could digest. Had they wanted more, he could have gladly accommodated them.
Just before the 1972 election, I visited some liberal friends near Boston who puckishly dragged me to a McGovern rally, where the featured speaker was to be John Kenneth Galbraith, whom George Will recently credited with turning liberalism into "a doctrine of condescension".
As my hosts well knew, I loathed Galbraith and was therefore in something of a panic. Suppose I found that, when I saw and heard him in person, I actually liked the man.
My fears proved groundless. He came out and talked down to his audience and explained to them, in little words so that they could understand, why any sane person would prefer McGovern to Nixon.
I walked away, relieved that he had proven even more smugly detestable than I had dared to hope.
One Saturday morning, I tuned in to LA's cultural radio station, into the middle of an interview. For half an hour, the anonymous celebrity condescendingly explained what Eisenhower should have done, what blunders Johnson had made, and what the country should do now. I knew I was listening to a truly wonderful mega-ego and went down the list. He couldn't be Galbraith or, from the lack of accent, Kissinger. I finally concluded that he must be Gore Vidal. I was right.
These examples demonstrate the surprising fact that mega-egos need not be stupid. Sometimes they are, sometimes they are experts in one field who think they are experts in everything, and in a few cases they can be brilliant.
They usually have at least a sly cunning that, if overlooked, can enable them to triumph over their intellectual betters.
Their principle characteristics, whether they are dimwits or geniuses, are a swollen self-image and an unshakable confidence in their omniscience.
Admittedly, narcissists have the same characteristics. To misquote Dryden:
"Mega-egos are sure to narcissists close allied
And thin partitions do their bounds divide."
However, they can easily be distinguished by their reaction to criticism. Mega-egos patronizingly dismiss your stupid lack of appreciation of their wisdom while narcissists become touchy and defensive. One might infer that mega-egos are sure of their greatness while narcissists try to suppress subconscious doubts.
Mega-egos are by no means the worst egotists. Indeed, their avidity for the admiration and praise of others -- a warped desire which theologians call "human respect" -- really betrays a touching humility; they do care what others think of them.
True, they can do considerable damage, but other types are more dangerous. An underdeveloped ego, such as Nixon's, can wreak havoc because of its tortured insecurity.
At the other end of the spectrum, far beyond the capacities of a mere mega-ego, too intelligent and too self-confident to need the adulation of the mob, lies the giga-ego.
Quiet, unobtrusive, and utterly sure of himself, he can do immeasurably more harm than a pack of mega-egos.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/megaegos.html
.................
Comments:
What happens when you get a bunch of egomaniacs heading, funding and directing a political party? Danger, danger, danger, because despite flawed results and disaster after disaster they still believe they can do no wrong. And all of them are willing to sacrifice you and everyone and everything else to prove it too.
..................................
A great line about Obama>>
"the self-idolizing overconfidence leads to a reckless irresponsibility that resembles a toddler in control of a bulldozer."
............................
In the world of mega- and giga-egos, surgeons surpass even rock stars. I know; I was married to a really superb one (in the O.R.) for 35 years. Perhaps this attitude is understandable, since in the O.R., they must be and are responsible for every aspect of any procedure, including assistance and anesthesia.
But the problem comes when they cannot leave this at the hospital. Nobody can live with them. Nobody!
................................