Would you agree that the human race is narcissistic in general?

I mean we definitely were in the past. We thought that humans and the earth were so important that all of the universe spun around us and to say that the earth might actually just be a small part of a larger thing was complete blasphemy. Although it was mostly based on religion, a lot of religions were sparked from our own imagination and a lot of religions put a VERY high self worth in the human race. I think that sort of narcissism (to much lesser degree) still exists today.

Our worst enemy is our own cynicism. Humans might be a freak to mother nature -kind of like the probability that Earth managed to sustain life in the first place. We wouldn't be so egomaniacal if we didn't manage to conrol so much around us. Interesting that Nature created a species which can actually destroy nature. Nature isn't narcissistic. Why is humanity?

No I don't. Narcissism is a disorder. As for thinking the earth was it.....they didn't have much else to go on.

I would agree that humanity is narcissistic, but i don't think it is a negative thing. Narcissism is generally considered a negative thing, but i think if more people loved themselves, the world would be better off.

I would agree that humanity is narcissistic, but i don't think it is a negative thing. Narcissism is generally considered a negative thing, but i think if more people loved themselves, the world would be better off.

cgi15

I mean we definitely were in the past. We thought that humans and the earth were so important that all of the universe spun around us and to say that the earth might actually just be a small part of a larger thing was complete blasphemy. Although it was mostly based on religion, a lot of religions were sparked from our own imagination and a lot of religions put a VERY high self worth in the human race. I think that sort of narcissism (to much lesser degree) still exists today.

munu9

I would agree that humanity is narcissistic, but i don't think it is a negative thing. Narcissism is generally considered a negative thing, but i think if more people loved themselves, the world would be better off.

cgi15

Interesting, and kind of poignant!

I don't know, I don't think I'm narcissistic... well, maybe I am. I mean... the human race... yeah. >.>zakkro

LOL! I would say that with Facebook, Twitter, etc. we are becoming increasingly narcissistic.

[QUOTE="cgi15"]

I would agree that humanity is narcissistic, but i don't think it is a negative thing. Narcissism is generally considered a negative thing, but i think if more people loved themselves, the world would be better off.

Tiefster

Yes, especially during the period of geocentricity.

[QUOTE="munu9"]

I mean we definitely were in the past. We thought that humans and the earth were so important that all of the universe spun around us and to say that the earth might actually just be a small part of a larger thing was complete blasphemy. Although it was mostly based on religion, a lot of religions were sparked from our own imagination and a lot of religions put a VERY high self worth in the human race. I think that sort of narcissism (to much lesser degree) still exists today.

mindstorm

I think I largely understand and agree with what he's saying, though - I think way too many people hang on too much to verses like Genesis 9:2 ("The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands"), interpreting it to mean that the world is here for our pleasure and that that means that we should do whatever we like it with it and everything in it.

I think (although I freely admit that there is no Biblical basis for this) that love for animals and nature is an integral part of the love we are encouraged to spread throughout the world in the Bible. Though we are only specifically told to love our fellow man, I think it would be very hard to have disdain or apathy for 99.999999% of species of life on the planet and still retain a pure and unadulterated love for humankind of the sort that we are instructed to hold. Sadism towards animals is a well-understood precursor for psychopathy, and in the same way, I strongly believe that love towards animals has the same pervasive effect in the opposite direction.

So, in that respect, I do completely agree with him - the human race definitely is very self-centered in its outlook, and I strongly agree with the idea that such an outlook on the world can only have negative effects in the end.