Have you ever met someone who comes across so arrogant you know the conversation is over before it starts? These kind of people almost always refuse
to acknowledge possibilities from a different perspective. It's their way, or the proverbial highway.
Lets see what the experts have say about the god complex.
A person who has a God complex does not necessarily believe he is God. It is believed by others, however, that he may as well believe it. As well as
arrogance, other characteristics of such a personality are they are likely to be well educated and hold a powerful position.
www.articleworld.org...
How does one acquire a god complex you may ask.
Childhood development
The roots of such a complex are usually to be found in childhood. There is a stage during early childhood when we are all of a narcissistic nature. We
believe that we are all-important and our caretakers exist only to cater to our needs. Of course, this idea cannot last for long and it is inevitable
that we are disillusioned at some point. This is known as primary narcissism.
Unfortunately, some children go through abuse and trauma at the hands of others and need to develop defense strategies to cope, one of which is to
retreat inside themselves and find comfort and support from a reliable source which is often only available in themselves. This may lead to secondary
or pathological narcissism in adolescence or adulthood which manifests itself in infatuation and obsession with oneself and a lack of empathy towards
others. This is believed to be a cause of a God complex.
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Examples
Long after his death, Napoleon Bonaparte was said to have had a God complex. To succeed in his desire to reinvent the world, he caused suffering on a
massive scale. The French Revolution and the French Enlightenment are also said to have been caused by those suffering from collective God
complexes.
Retrieved from "http://www.articleworld.org/index.php/God_complex"
Others say this.
When someone is said to have a “God complex,” it means that he or she is extremely arrogant. The slang term is supposed to suggest that the person
behaves as though he or she is God. People may use the term colloquially to refer to people who behave arrogantly and demonstrate little empathy and
compassion for others, and also specifically to refer to people who have been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Whether someone
actually has NPD or a simple God complex, there are ways to alter negative behavioral patterns to help that person function more successfully in
society
www.wisegeek.com...
People in certain professions, such as surgery, are often accused of having a God complex. Individuals with a God complex tend to believe that they
are the best at what they do, that they are entitled to special treatment, and that they deserve the best of everything. They may also behave with a
high level of grandiosity or pretentiousness which draws attention to themselves, and they treat other people carelessly, using and exploiting them at
will.
To be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, the patient must meet with a mental health professional who can interview the patient and look
for diagnostic criteria. All of the examples above are included in the diagnostic criteria for NPD, as is an appearance of an unemotional personality,
the setting of unrealistic goals, and weak self esteem. Paradoxically, despite the way in which people with God complexes behave, they actually have
very fragile and delicate self esteem, drawing their self esteem from the approval and attention of others. The sensitivity of people with NPD is
often part of what drives them to behave so callously, because when they feel threatened or marginalized they may lash out.
It is usually difficult to get someone to recognize that he or she has a God complex, let alone NPD. People with God complexes generally feel
threatened by the idea of psychotherapy, and they will not appreciate well-meaning suggestions from people who would like to help them. They interpret
such suggestions as criticisms of their character which are designed to undermine them, rather than to support them.
www.wisegeek.com...
Ok. Lets break this down
1) When everyone is born, we are led to believe that we will be catered to for the rest of our lives.
That means every animal is born to think they are the center of the universe.
2) After a while we become disillusioned and recognize that is not the way.
We get older and realize every action has a consequence.
3) Abuse and trauma at the hands of others cause a defense mechanism to trigger
and causes one to reflect internally for comfort.
So far sounds like everyone I know.
4) This may lead to lack of empathy toward others and an obsession with yourself.
The word may is a speculative word. They did not learn lesson number 2 and
skipped straight to number 3, and for obvious reasons did not like
the fact that others would not cater to their needs. This in turn produced an
emotional response which triggered an offensive mechanism and causes one
to reflect internally for comfort.
Summation:
Its not from abuse or trauma at the hands of others that causes a God complex.
If that were true most people would suffer from it. The cause is from parents
who do not teach lesson number 2 to their children. They are use to getting
whatever they want, when they want it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and any replies or opinions is
appreciated.
[edit on 4-11-2009 by Conclusion]
