A parody without end

[Reads with Scotch]

Ever feel like your life is just a spoof of a real life? That everyone you interact with is just playing a part, and it is almost never to your benefit. "Dan in real life" comes to mind.

[Donitello]

Just lucky, I guess.

[Donitello]

Seriously, I think most people are just playing a part when they express concern or interest in me. It's called socialization, isn't it? Most people have, at best, a small circle of other humans that they genuinely give a flip about, and have to be socialized to value those outside their own circle. Traditionally this has been called things like "civic-mindedness." Most people are not civic-minded, and this has always been the case. It's just that now we have the concept of "political correctness," which says that all people should value all people in this sort of deep and heartfelt way -- civic-mindedness replaced by altruism. I'm not against this goal, but it's not easy to achieve. Instead of doing the work, many people just act all huggy with each other.

That's my theory, anyway.

[Donitello]

I also think part of it is widespread narcissism.

http://www.newsweek.com/2009/04/17/ge...