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Study Links Mindfulness to Narcissism.


danydandan

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LINKYDO

I found this interesting, what do you folk think?

 

 

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Well, people who practice mindfulness and meditation as spiritual practice are spiritually superior to those who don’t, in a sense, even as those who practice physical exercise and proper diet are in superior physical condition to those who do not.  
 

I don’t think it necessarily equates to narcissism, but let’s face it.....people do things because it makes them feel good.  One practices exercise and proper diet to keep the body fit.  This makes a person feel better.  The same goes for the spiritual practice of mindfulness and meditation.  It is a practice that those engaging in do because it makes them feel better and more grounded.  It doesn’t make a person obnoxiously narcissistic IMO.

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1 hour ago, XenoFish said:

I'm beginning to think that nearly anything can be linked to narcissism.

I've thought for a long time that we are mostly ruled by and serve our Egos.  ?   If narcissism is egotistical,   that fits?

    Even though I'm absolutely wondrous and beautiful in every way....I try to be humble about it. :P

But ,seriously, isn't nearly everything we do or think undertaken to make us see ourselves . .'favorably'. ?

          Hmm... Maybe I'm just more selfish than I think ....

Edited by lightly
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1 hour ago, XenoFish said:

I'm beginning to think that nearly anything can be linked to narcissism.

I am pretty sure everything is about some sort of underlying narcissistic tendencies we have developed through the x amount of years we have been evolving.

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45 minutes ago, lightly said:

I've thought for a long time that we are mostly ruled by and serve our Egos.  ?   If narcissism is egotistical,   that fits?

    Even though I'm absolutely wondrous and beautiful in every way....I try to be humble about it. :P

But ,seriously, isn't nearly everything we do or think undertaken to make us see ourselves . .'favorably'. ?

          Hmm... Maybe I'm just more selfish than I think ....

I don't think it's all about seeing ourselves favorably, I think it sometimes has to do with seeing oneself as "superior" to others for whatever reason. To overinflate the sense of self. Pretty much anything can do that. 

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Very early in life I learnt that a prime motivation to be "selfless" ..is how good it makes you feel!

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7 hours ago, danydandan said:

LINKYDO

I found this interesting, what do you folk think?

 

 

Had to happen :) 

I don't disagree. The  opening summary says 

An implicit feature of spiritual training is that it allows its adherents to distance themselves from their egos, and thereby from things such as the need for social approval or success. By encouraging self-compassion and non-judgmental self-acceptance, spiritual training should presumably make people less concerned with such things.

But as a new paper explains, spiritual training may have the opposite effect. Namely, spiritual training might in fact enhance people’s need to feel “more successful, more respected or more loved,” as the authors Roos Vonk and Anouk Visser write.

 

And yes id agree Like anything, people can use or adapt a discipline to their own needs and purposes.

But then, of course different people have different perspectives on how much ego and self  esteem is a good thing, and when it becomes too much  

IMO most peole are not mindful enough and you can see this in their behaviours  

Just looking a the survey questions, the y are terribly subjective, with an underlying assumption that certain answers indicate certain  things The y may also assume that there is no such thing as gifts or abilities and thus people who think the y can help others to  acquire them are deluded.

Tome there IS a difference between a person who sees themselves as "special" eg happier more empowered etc., but doesn't  try to help others be just as special,  and a person  who recognises that any human can improve themselves with knowldge and discipline, and tries to help them do so.   

Finally the bit quoted next is not narcissim if it is true, and measurably true, via observation

For this study, the authors did not measure “agentic narcissism” (for example, “I am more special than others and deserve special privileges”), but rather “communal narcissism,” which describes people who think of themselves as more nurturing and empathic than others. Example statements that characterize this trait include “I have a very positive influence on others” and “I am generally the most understanding person.”

eg throughout my teaching carer i had verbal and written  feedback from  students, student teachers, other teachers and parents, Identical to these   ie the y saw me as one of, if not the most,   understanding and positive person/teacher etc. 

 

Edited by Mr Walker
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3 hours ago, HandsomeGorilla said:

Anything one does outside of basic, necessary survival is more or less rooted in narcissism and ego. 

No Thats simply wrong.  Altruism is not about self  but about a connection to and feeling for other people.   Anyone who doesn't get this is lacking something   in themselves  (Or some understanding of themselves ) Ie you will know when you are acting from ego or self need/interest  and when you are giving of yourself with no thought for self 

Ps By your measure, basic necessary survival would also be "rooted in narcissism  and ego"   ie if  you didn't have an ego, and care about yourself, then your survival would  not be important to you.

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1 hour ago, ChrLzs said:

Very early in life I learnt that a prime motivation to be "selfless" ..is how good it makes you feel!

Whereas for me it is an abstract moral and ethical principle.

Its not about feeling, but about what is right, and produces the most constructive outcomes for the most people. 

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4 hours ago, lightly said:

I've thought for a long time that we are mostly ruled by and serve our Egos.  ?   If narcissism is egotistical,   that fits?

    Even though I'm absolutely wondrous and beautiful in every way....I try to be humble about it. :P

But ,seriously, isn't nearly everything we do or think undertaken to make us see ourselves . .'favorably'. ?

          Hmm... Maybe I'm just more selfish than I think ....

Interesting perspective 

it makes me wonder how many people see themselves this way 

I was never allowed to develop that attitude as a child.  I was taught to do what was right. because it was right, no matter how it made me feel ,  My parents were very strong humanists to whom moral principles were more important than feelings .This was   because moral principles and values produced positive/constructive outcomes when put into practice, while your feelings did not always do this

It doesn't always feel good, or right, to do right, but it is still the right thing to do :)

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9 hours ago, Guyver said:

Well, people who practice mindfulness and meditation as spiritual practice are spiritually superior to those who don’t, in a sense, even as those who practice physical exercise and proper diet are in superior physical condition to those who do not. 

Whoa. It was nice of you to embody the results as a demo.

I agree with the findings -- they seem to agree with my anecdotal experience. I don't know anyone who claims to be spiritual who doesn't use their spirituality as a blunt instrument to make others feel inferior. Except maybe Brother Dave Gardner, may he rest in peace (and pass it on).

--Jaylemutph

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32 minutes ago, jaylemurph said:

Whoa. It was nice of you to embody the results as a demo.

I agree with the findings -- they seem to agree with my anecdotal experience. I don't know anyone who claims to be spiritual who doesn't use their spirituality as a blunt instrument to make others feel inferior. Except maybe Brother Dave Gardner, may he rest in peace (and pass it on).

--Jaylemutph

I said, “In a sense.”  Another way of saying it is, “in one sense.”  You inferred that hubris claim of me.  I don’t meditate or work out at this time, so I wasn’t speaking of myself......except from experience.  In any event, I never claimed that one type of person is superior to another person in an overarching way, but if you think someone who doesn’t exercise and eats improperly is more fit than a person of the same age and in similar circumstances is who does routinely practice diet and exercise, you’re fooling yourself.

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38 minutes ago, jaylemurph said:

I don't know anyone who claims to be spiritual who doesn't use their spirituality as a blunt instrument to make others feel inferior.

 

Maybe that's why he asked him to forgive them.

Because sometimes, they know not what they do.

 

 

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I guess that by THIS standard, Joe Biden must be the most humble man on planet ERF...

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2 hours ago, and then said:

I guess that by THIS standard, Joe Biden must be the most humble man on planet ERF...

Is that  a comment on his apparent lack of mindfulness at times ?  

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13 hours ago, danydandan said:

LINKYDO

I found this interesting, what do you folk think?

 

 

We all are narcissistic to a degree, but to have the personality disorder means something else. The disorder arises when someone doesnt form a stable identity during childhood and stops them interacting with others correctly causing problems in their relationships.

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2 hours ago, Cookie Monster said:

We all are narcissistic to a degree, but to have the personality disorder means something else. The disorder arises when someone doesnt form a stable identity during childhood and stops them interacting with others correctly causing problems in their relationships.

You mean those spoiled brats who were never taught discipline in any form, and quite often indulged every sense without repercussions. Who end up developing an exaggerated sense of self, those brats.

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16 hours ago, danydandan said:

LINKYDO

I found this interesting, what do you folk think?

 

 

I think we've seen a few of these spirituality narcissist around here. Those who promote their personal faith system sometimes aggressively. Then again spirituality isn't the only source for a superiority complex. 

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19 hours ago, danydandan said:

LINKYDO

I found this interesting, what do you folk think?

 

 

The only thing I found relevant to the truth was the conclusion where they questioned if truly spiritual people would take part in this study, which they wouldn't .The rest was just labeling and judging people.

Edited by openozy
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In my mind, meditation is a practice of self control.  It’s a way to practice having your mind make your body do what it wants it to do.  If you are not a meditator, try this to see what I mean.  Find a quiet place to sit down at a quiet time, take some deep cleansing breaths......and just sit there and do nothing except clear your mind and focus on your breathing.  See if you can make it for just one minute without thinking that you need to get up and go do something else.  And if you can do that, go for two or three minutes.
 

Now, is a person who learns to practice self-control better than a person who does not?  Tough question because it’s a subjective valuation.  I think I am a better person when I practice self-control.  So, I plan to get back into both exercise and meditation practice.  I know I will be better for it, but I don’t think that makes me a better person than others in a narcissistic way.  It just means that I am doing something good for myself that makes me a better person.  I don’t consider that narcissistic, I just think it’s wise.

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4 minutes ago, Guyver said:

In my mind, meditation is a practice of self control.  It’s a way to practice having your mind make your body do what it wants it to do.  If you are not a meditator, try this to see what I mean.  Find a quiet place to sit down at a quiet time, take some deep cleansing breaths......and just sit there and do nothing except clear your mind and focus on your breathing.  See if you can make it for just one minute without thinking that you need to get up and go do something else.  And if you can do that, go for two or three minutes.
 

Now, is a person who learns to practice self-control better than a person who does not?  Tough question because it’s a subjective valuation.  I think I am a better person when I practice self-control.  So, I plan to get back into both exercise and meditation practice.  I know I will be better for it, but I don’t think that makes me a better person than others in a narcissistic way.  It just means that I am doing something good for myself that makes me a better person.  I don’t consider that narcissistic, I just think it’s wise.

I don't think it is the self control, but a possible superiority complex that might develop because of their practices. Similar to those "virtuous vegans" who love to flaunt how morally superior they are. 

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It's in a crisis that the degree of self-control attainment, is revealed. 

 

 

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