Maybe someone has written about this already, but not me! This is one of those crazy thoughts I had while showering, except this time I happen to remember it a second time. In an effort to actually get my thoughts to my computer, I risked falling asleep in my bra without flossing my teeth.

Despite my bra and not flossing, I couldn’t stop searching for that perfect word that describes Osama Bin Laden AND Paris Hilton. What word do you think of? “Egotistical?” How about “narcissistic?” I like the second word best. From http://www.dictionary.com/, I can now define the word, then I can connect it.

nar·cis·sism (när’sĭ-sĭz’əm) n.
1. Excessive love or admiration of oneself. See Synonyms at conceit.
2. A psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem.
3. Erotic pleasure derived from contemplation or admiration of one’s own body or self, especially as a fixation on or a regression to an infantile stage of development.

Who else would film themselves having sex, and stare at the camera the entire time. No, not your Jewish cousin, but Paris Hilton. (See 1 and 3 above.) Of course, who would film themselves in a cave claiming their the leader of Al Queda while the majority of the world desires his head on a platter. (See 2 above.)

The problem is that as a society too many people live vicariously through someone else’s life. Sadly, some people live to read People magazine for their fill of Paris Hilton while others watch CNN endlessly feeding the need to know what rock Osama is living under. This feeds narcissism. What we really need to feed Paris and Osama is a cheese burger! (This fine tidbit of wisdom comes from a good friend, JT, and she is so right).

Because of being in the spot light in so many different ways, Paris and Osama strive to be elusive. They avoid the papparazzi and the military of various countries respectively. But for many Americans living vicariously, they are like a train wreck you can’t stop watching. Thus once again, we fuel the fire of narcissism exhibited by two people that couldn’t provide a more devestating impression to our future generations. (Train wreck analogy given by JT, again, thank you!)

Admit it, we all want them to go away, one way or another, but then we would actually have to live our own lives. What a shame.