A Summary on Narcissism, Pragmatism, Unbridled Restlessness and the Non-Contemplative Personality
In this chapter, Rolheiser presents to us three main factors that militates against contemplation, and fosters a non-contemplative personality by pointing out how our own self-interests blocks us from having a purity of heart needed to see God. These factors are namely Narcissism, Pragmatism and Unbridled Restlessness.
Narcissism is defined in Freudian psychology as “excessive self-preoccupation. This entails a propensity for individualism and our corresponding inability to be healthily aware of and concerned about the reality beyond our private lives. In other words, Narcissism is the state of being obsessed with one’s self to the point that everything beyond one’s self is deemed irrelevant. Narcissistic people lack a sense of the communal and lack a sense of reality beyond themselves because for them, the only real thing is themselves, they desire to excel above others, can’t act beyond self-interests and are becoming excessively private.
Pragmatism comes from the word pragma, which means “business”, efficiency, sensibleness and practicality. In its philosophy, what it means is what is true is what works, wherein the truth should correspond to concrete utilities, practical consequences and can benefit the world. Basically, the worth of everything lies in achievements. This, in some aspects is good, as it benefits everyone. However, there are some aspects of pragmatism that should be addressed and be cautious of, namely taking one’s sense of worth from what one does rather than who one is (you are only as good as the work you do), having little patience for impractical ideas, and solely trusting the scientific method
Unbridled restlessness is defined as a constant longing for something more. Humans today are conditioned to be restless, driven, compulsive and