With Newsweek placing Sarah Palin at an estimated annual earnings of $14 million (topping all women and coming in at #6 overall) on its list of the 50 highest-earning political figures of 2010, it’s time for everyone to sit back and let her narcissism work for us. Enough with the “we must ignore her.” She’s not going away folks, not until she becomes so uncomfortable with the negative consequences of being the narcissistic bombshell she is that she decides that even for her, she’s too ill to keep on keepin’ on.
First lesson: No one should hold their breath for that to happen. Narcissism is pretty much the most unchangeable of all personality disorders. We must move on to accepting that it doesn’t matter how much we read or write about her. For her, no amount of attention, adoration or detestation, will ever be enough. Remember, it is not about us; it is about her. Narcissists do not care about sucking people dry of all their energy and attention, to the detriment of any other person or thing. That’s why they’re narcissists.
Second, Palin will need to get more and more outrageous to get attention. As you read Kathy’s post, Vindictive, Mean-Spirited, Not Very Presidential, realize: Palin was unable to even focus on her own daughters’ dilemmas that preceded the holiday, both the highs and the lows, nor pause for instilling in us sincere, generous other-centered reflections on Thanksgiving itself.
Another example of outrageousness is the suggestion that if the media and the White House don’t behave, well, harumph – she’ll run for president – or not. Who knows. The point is, she thinks she’s scary enough either way to influence people’s behavior. That, my friends, is textbook narcissism.
Third, there’s no chance that even if you and I contributed gazillions to her bottom line, a statistically significant chunk of the voting population will never vote for her for president. Never. If our giving her attention pushes her to behave in ways that take her to the point of no return and jumping the shark (for those who think she hasn’t yet), let the games proceed.
Simply stated, Sarah Palin ain’t gonna go changing to try and please anyone, unless Sarah Palin decides that Sarah Palin isn’t pleased anymore. And that’s not a bet I’d be willing to take. For example, if she’d wanted to do that in the name of pursuing the presidency, she would have done it already. Instead, she’s doubled down on her narcissism and is milking it for everything she can get.
Supporters and detractors alike might claim that her choices demonstrate how “smart” she is, to manipulate her notoriety into as much earned media and media earnings while she can. The problem is, that’s not the kind of smart that reflects an ability to make decisions in times when others are in crisis and others are in need – it only reflects an ability to make decisions for oneself.
Finally, Sarah Palin’s inability to produce a cogent 2010 Thanksgiving Day message that begins and ends with providing comfort to those in our country and those who are serving our country who most need comfort, is her biggest gaffe of all: by writing and publishing what she wrote, she revealed an absolute failure to see beyond herself on a holiday rooted in the notion of giving, and of giving thanks.
The conclusion: As long as our celebritician-obsessed society is going to reward her, we should reap some rewards, too. Kudos to every pundit, politician, proletariat and producer of thingamajiggies who figures out how.
BONUS: Take the Narcissist Personality Inventory.