_ Be yourself. The world worships the original._
- Ingrid Bergman
Those who fear the depths of their shadow will unwittingly seek out an external power to substitute for their Higher Self, hoping that a person or group will lead them to some imagined Utopia. Shamelessness, deflecting blame and refusing to be vulnerable all manipulate the target into believing that the narcissist can be their salvation. Yet the narcissist is not channelling true divinity; they are using ethos, pathos and logos to project a grandiose self, which is a counterfeit version of the real thing.
If someone hijacks your mind and gains authority over you, then your internal kingdom is lost. True divinity is the ability to maintain presence via your Higher Self along with the conviction that you are the rightful ruler of your ‘realm’. This requires letting go of the hope that an outside figure will fulfil this need, and instead trying your Higher Self on for size.
The narcissist’s idea of divinity is being idealised, fed narcissistic supply, and never questioned. True divinity, on the other hand, is a state of alignment within the Self. It is a celebration of life. True divinity is unaffected by outside noise — it requires only focus and surrender.
A simple way to differentiate between grandiosity and divinity is in a social setting. Observe a person’s body language when they are interacting with a group, followed by when they find themselves alone. Do they perk up and stand straight in the group but become sombre and hunc...
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