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So, about those selfish peopole

Remember that selfish friend I've mentioned once or twice? I read this very interesting and informative article. Check out the (large) excerpt below.

The Friendship Test
By Martha Beck

There are some individuals who never outgrow infantile self-obsession. Throughout life, they take without giving and expect others to give without taking. Even when they have their own children, they can't focus on anyone but themselves. One woman told me quite seriously that her 3-day-old son was "a selfish brat" because "he cries when he knows I'm trying to sleep." Extremely narcissistic parents often have echo spouses, who limply accept unfair treatment from everyone, including their children. "Don't mind me, sweetheart," sighs the echo parent. "Here's money for cocaine?I'll stay here, knitting you a sweater from my hair."

Children raised by such parents grow up unconsciously assuming there are only two possible relationship modes: Some become thoroughgoing narcissists, others eternal echoes. (Some bounce between these two states, acting oppressively in some of their relationships but groveling in others, like the middle manager who trashes subordinates but toadies up to the boss.)

When two people who fall into this kind of dyad meet, they bond instantly, like Krazy Glue. "I feel as if I've known you all my life," they say, basking in the familiar narcissist-echo energy. There are no arguments, no awkward uncertainty about who should do what, because the echo immediately begins reflecting the narcissist. She stops listening to rap, catching her new friend's polka fever.

Even more important, the echo assumes all the subtle work of friendship: initiating contact, arranging activities, offering compliments and other forms of nurturing. She doesn't mind things being one-sided; she's just grateful?ecstatic?that she's being adored by a replica of the parent who couldn't love her. And the narcissistic friend really is adoring?not of the echo, as they both mistakenly believe, but of her reflection in her new friend's eyes. It's all fun and games, right up until someone gets stabbed.

The Bitter End
I'm devastated," whispered my echoey client Naomi. "My best friend just?dumped me. I don't understand; we're so close. We went to each other's weddings. We talked every day. Then out of the blue, she tells me I've changed, I'm getting selfish, she's done with me. I don't think she'll ever speak to me again." Baffling as it may seem if you don't understand narcissism, Naomi is probably right. Her long-standing friendship is likely over.

This is how naiad dyads often end. For instance, when Naomi the echo finally became so unhappy she hired a coach, she began to see herself as worthy of reciprocal friendship. She started drawing boundaries and making small, gentle requests. Her supposed friend, a true narcissist, saw this as a selfish betrayal of their implicit arrangement.

Even if Naomi had kept echoing like an empty cistern, this naiad dyad would probably have ended. Because narcissists don't give love, which is half the equation of a genuine emotional connection, they always become increasingly unhappy over time (remember Narcissus's suicide). Many blame their echoes: "You're not making me happy anymore!" Whether the echo gets better or the narcissist gets worse, the relationship may suddenly and completely fracture, the Krazy Glue bond breaking as quickly and completely as it formed.

Real friendship never does this because it's extremely flexible. Friends take turns performing and receiving "friendship maintenance" tasks, from making phone calls to buying presents. When Riley's tooth broke, she got my immediate attention: I "echoed" her. Then we switched roles, and we discussed my problems. This simple turn-taking is what naiad dyads lack, and it leads to catastrophic failure. Take the quiz if you suspect that one of your friendships is actually a naiad dyad. If it is, try one of the following fixes.

Let's say your quiz score reveals you're in a rigid friendship where you call all the shots and do none of the work. You might be a narcissist, which probably means you don't care and won't change. My only advice? Avoid daggers.

On the other hand, if you're disturbed by receiving one-sided VIP treatment, you might want to talk to her and explain that her excessive selflessness is troubling, that you need to give as well as receive to feel like her friend. I'm haunted by the fact that I never had this conversation with a college buddy who years later committed suicide. Maybe I could have helped by insisting she learn to receive as well as give. You can't force a confirmed echo out of her role, but it's worth trying.

This is how naiad dyads often end. For instance, when Naomi the echo finally became so unhappy she hired a coach, she began to see herself as worthy of reciprocal friendship. She started drawing boundaries and making small, gentle requests. Her supposed friend, a true narcissist, saw this as a selfish betrayal of their implicit arrangement.

Even if Naomi had kept echoing like an empty cistern, this naiad dyad would probably have ended. Because narcissists don't give love, which is half the equation of a genuine emotional connection, they always become increasingly unhappy over time (remember Narcissus's suicide). Many blame their echoes: "You're not making me happy anymore!" Whether the echo gets better or the narcissist gets worse, the relationship may suddenly and completely fracture, the Krazy Glue bond breaking as quickly and completely as it formed.

Real friendship never does this because it's extremely flexible. Friends take turns performing and receiving "friendship maintenance" tasks, from making phone calls to buying presents. When Riley's tooth broke, she got my immediate attention: I "echoed" her. Then we switched roles, and we discussed my problems. This simple turn-taking is what naiad dyads lack, and it leads to catastrophic failure. Take the quiz if you suspect that one of your friendships is actually a naiad dyad. If it is, try one of the following fixes.

Let's say your quiz score reveals you're in a rigid friendship where you call all the shots and do none of the work. You might be a narcissist, which probably means you don't care and won't change. My only advice? Avoid daggers.

On the other hand, if you're disturbed by receiving one-sided VIP treatment, you might want to talk to her and explain that her excessive selflessness is troubling, that you need to give as well as receive to feel like her friend. I'm haunted by the fact that I never had this conversation with a college buddy who years later committed suicide. Maybe I could have helped by insisting she learn to receive as well as give. You can't force a confirmed echo out of her role, but it's worth trying.

Full post as published by Random Ramblings About Life and Law School on November 13, 2008 (boomark / email).