Narcissus

"Solitude is a distinctive characteristic of adolescence. Narcissus, the solitary, is the very image of the adolescent. It is during this period that we become aware of our singularity for the first time. But the dialectic of emotions intervenes once more: since adolescence is extreme self-consciousness,  it can only be transcended by self-forgetfulness, by self-surrender. Therefore solitude is not only a time of solitude but also of great romances, of heroism and sacrifice." Paz, pg. 203

Ayrton on Christmas morning!

      I want to address Paz's idea that Narcissus is the very image of the adolescent. To the right is a picture of my cousin, Ayrton. He has NPD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  I learned a lot about the pathological form of narcissism when he lived with me and my family!

       All people can have Narcissistic or selfish tendencies. Paz associated narcissism with adolescence, which is true for most people. For those with NPD, near the end of adolescence is when they first start getting diagnosed. Some of the easiest symptoms of Narcissism to recognize are extremely fragile self confidence; an excessive need for validation, attention, admiration, etc.; experiencing feelings of rejection too easily; and acting unemotional or "tough" most of the time.

      Also, in Ayrton's case, he can only understand people as objects. For example, if you kick an object, it will still work the next day. If you kick a person, they are going to act differently around you as a result. For some reason Ayrton does not make those connections. In Levinas' terms, Ayrton sees all people in their most finite.

       A lot of times he will do what normal people would consider "mean" things (never out of meanness, always out of self-gratification) and then act like nothing happened later. It's kind of endearing at first but then it becomes exhausting.

       The point is that Ayrton, as an extreme case, totally supports Paz. If we, as narcissists in our adolescence, heal ourselves and our solitude by looking outside ourselves to see others and their needs, we truly are heroes! I mean, if Ayrton was finally able to do that by overcoming the the wall that prevents him from seeing others, he would be my hero. Knowing Ayrton it is easy to see that by embracing Levinas' ideas (that we indeed are our brothers' keepers, and that humans are infinite beings), we can heal the pains of our own solitude, reverse our narcissistic tendencies, and achieve the great "romances, heroism, and sacrifice," described by Paz.
   

"Who is this Encarnación?"

Jefferson City! She's a Beaut!

          My name is Alyssa Cardon and I am from Jefferson City, Missouri! Let me just tell you a little about it, just to give you a taste of where I come from... 

      The first thing I noticed when I moved to Jefferson City (I was 16) is that people there have a seemingly unprecedented amount of city pride. Is this normal? I really don't think so! I mean, to be fair, Jeff City is relatively isolated from bigger cities, and home to the Missouri state capital... 

     ...But sometimes I think Jeff Cityans have to brag about it because the merits of JC are imperceptible to the untrained eye. My other theory is that maybe the citizens of Jefferson City just opted to cheer for the city itself rather than their non-existent local college or professional sports team.

      Where does Jeff City pride come from? It's a question of the soul that is actually not answered by the Book of Mormon.

  Anyway, that is my hometown! It kills me (in a good way) when I see graffiti in Jefferson City that says something like, "Rock on Jeff City," or "Jeff 4Eva." The presence of Jeff City on twitter? Inexplicable. Just thinking about Jefferson City makes me laugh. But that fondness may also stem from the fact that Jeff City elected me to be the 2011 Winter Sports Queen... Definitely a highlight of my life.

      In other news, I am taking this class because it fulfills two GE requirements,  both Letters AND Global and Cultural Awareness! Talk about efficient! I am actually a Business Management Major with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources. I serve on the MUSA Leadership Council where I help connect students with internships, review their resumes, and plan events to help prepare people for future careers. I'm also an RA in Helaman halls.

MUSA Leadership Council! I'm the fourth from the right, front row!

     Honestly, everything I know about Latin American culture I learned from writing missionaries in Spanish speaking missions, my spanish class in High School, and watching Nacho Libre. I hope that what I lack in knowledge I can make up for in genuine interest and diligent study!

       I hope that was an adequate introduction of who I am! I am really looking forward to this class!