This is great. I think sometimes we struggle with why something matters to the world when it maybe doesn’t - it’s hard to admit that - and so we don’t do things often enough simply for the joy. We lose our creativity and our connection and pretty soon we’ve downgraded ourselves to a very low level of empathy capacity. I feel like that’s when organized narcissism takes hold. It’s no longer a brand with associations of joyful ideas or trust - it’s just a hollow narrative that can be controlled.
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you about joy. I also think that having confidence and pride in who you are and what you do is a kind of joy—some women are hesitant to take the credit they deserve, for the value they bring, to be proudly visible. That’s the kind of narcissism I’m talking about!
So true! It’s just fascinating how the socialization of people pleasing for women is so strong in our culture that actually being proud of your efforts could be cataloged as a healthy form of disfunction! Really enjoying reading your insights and work! And thank you for responding to my comment. I’m new here so just getting the hang of Substack. Delighted to know this is a place for authentic interaction. Yay!
Be patient with Substack. It's a slow build and the learning curve never stops--not that it's hard -- it's just a different animal with it's own habits and behaviors.
Alas, all too true. It's easier to just crank out same old/same old than to figure out why it's not working. Why wouldn't we want to talk about our impact and bring to life the stories we're justifiably proud of? Especially in public policy and advocacy where impact is real and tangible. It's low hanging fruit!
This is great. I think sometimes we struggle with why something matters to the world when it maybe doesn’t - it’s hard to admit that - and so we don’t do things often enough simply for the joy. We lose our creativity and our connection and pretty soon we’ve downgraded ourselves to a very low level of empathy capacity. I feel like that’s when organized narcissism takes hold. It’s no longer a brand with associations of joyful ideas or trust - it’s just a hollow narrative that can be controlled.
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you about joy. I also think that having confidence and pride in who you are and what you do is a kind of joy—some women are hesitant to take the credit they deserve, for the value they bring, to be proudly visible. That’s the kind of narcissism I’m talking about!
So true! It’s just fascinating how the socialization of people pleasing for women is so strong in our culture that actually being proud of your efforts could be cataloged as a healthy form of disfunction! Really enjoying reading your insights and work! And thank you for responding to my comment. I’m new here so just getting the hang of Substack. Delighted to know this is a place for authentic interaction. Yay!
Be patient with Substack. It's a slow build and the learning curve never stops--not that it's hard -- it's just a different animal with it's own habits and behaviors.
God luck and thanks for your kind words.
Outstanding post, Lyn. Especially in public policy and advocacy I see a lot of "Read my latest!" "This is our one-pager!" "Read our..."
It focuses the message on "Me/I/US" instead of the reader (or allie, donor, supporter).
Share how your work makes an impact or the value you are providing.
Alas, all too true. It's easier to just crank out same old/same old than to figure out why it's not working. Why wouldn't we want to talk about our impact and bring to life the stories we're justifiably proud of? Especially in public policy and advocacy where impact is real and tangible. It's low hanging fruit!