"From what I’ve seen, it’s a central feature of today’s social media driven trans movement"
This is the tragedy for me. I think transgender people in general are being done such a huge disservice by the people who "represent" them online. It's almost impossible to have a conversation with a trans person online (where you don't completely …
"From what I’ve seen, it’s a central feature of today’s social media driven trans movement"
This is the tragedy for me. I think transgender people in general are being done such a huge disservice by the people who "represent" them online. It's almost impossible to have a conversation with a trans person online (where you don't completely agree with and validate every word they say), and not be labelled a TERF or a transphobe. So lots of people who have never met a trans person in real life just assume this is normal and write them off as more trouble than it's worth.
Of course, it's the same for a a lot of social media activism. It's just as easy to be called a racist or a sexist on Twitter or Medium. And similarly, I've chatted with lots of really reasonable, socially compassionate people who just disengage because they're sick of being screamed at about how terrible they are.
These narcissists are the biggest threat to social justice movements in my opinion. They present themselves as advocates, are *insanely* vocal, and shape public perception of those movements in almost exclusively negative ways. They soak up the support from those who are already in their echo chambers, and alienate everybody else. Of course, this is fine for them. Because they're not actually interested in making things better for other people.
I think that's why I persisted with Jas. I wanted her to see, even just a little bit, the gap between how she views herself as this wise story-telling guru, and the reality that she's just a self-centred narcissist who quite literally cannot resist the urge to make everything about her. I don't think I succeeded, but you never know.
I know several people who happen to be Trans and none of them IMHO would be self absorbed on any level close to where "Jas" seemed to be. And as a therapist who has worked with numerous people with narcissistic tendencies and their codependent enablers they rarely change or discover insight about anyone else. If they do they don't give a shit because they're incapable of real empathy… only lip service if you will.
Oh absolutely, that's what I was trying to say. For people who don't meet trans people in real life, the narcissists online come to be seen as "representatives". The same things happens in a lot of online social activism. I don't think people like Jas are typically of trans people at all.
Agree to all of the above. I specified “social media driven trans movement” because I think those platforms attract the narcissists whose moralistic activism gives actual trans people a bad name.
"From what I’ve seen, it’s a central feature of today’s social media driven trans movement"
This is the tragedy for me. I think transgender people in general are being done such a huge disservice by the people who "represent" them online. It's almost impossible to have a conversation with a trans person online (where you don't completely agree with and validate every word they say), and not be labelled a TERF or a transphobe. So lots of people who have never met a trans person in real life just assume this is normal and write them off as more trouble than it's worth.
Of course, it's the same for a a lot of social media activism. It's just as easy to be called a racist or a sexist on Twitter or Medium. And similarly, I've chatted with lots of really reasonable, socially compassionate people who just disengage because they're sick of being screamed at about how terrible they are.
These narcissists are the biggest threat to social justice movements in my opinion. They present themselves as advocates, are *insanely* vocal, and shape public perception of those movements in almost exclusively negative ways. They soak up the support from those who are already in their echo chambers, and alienate everybody else. Of course, this is fine for them. Because they're not actually interested in making things better for other people.
I think that's why I persisted with Jas. I wanted her to see, even just a little bit, the gap between how she views herself as this wise story-telling guru, and the reality that she's just a self-centred narcissist who quite literally cannot resist the urge to make everything about her. I don't think I succeeded, but you never know.
I know several people who happen to be Trans and none of them IMHO would be self absorbed on any level close to where "Jas" seemed to be. And as a therapist who has worked with numerous people with narcissistic tendencies and their codependent enablers they rarely change or discover insight about anyone else. If they do they don't give a shit because they're incapable of real empathy… only lip service if you will.
Oh absolutely, that's what I was trying to say. For people who don't meet trans people in real life, the narcissists online come to be seen as "representatives". The same things happens in a lot of online social activism. I don't think people like Jas are typically of trans people at all.
Agree to all of the above. I specified “social media driven trans movement” because I think those platforms attract the narcissists whose moralistic activism gives actual trans people a bad name.