.::.Easy Mind Reading.::.

Have you ever wondered how it is that there is a certain type of character, narcissistic to the core, almost comically over confidant and smug, who despite a lack of talent or virtue, seems to coast through life, achieving far more than those who surpass them in every way. From my time living in Budapest, I still have a fond recollection of a pair of stories reported in the local paper, which speak to this topic.

In the first story, a young woman was out for a run in a residential area in the southern part of Pest. Out of nowhere, she was set upon by a vicious German Shepherd, bounding towards her with murderous intent in its eyes. The dog chased her for several blocks and would have mauled her had she not changed course, jumped a fence, ran across a park and jumped into the Danube. Fortunately, for our heroine, it was winter, and the dog having an aversion to cold water, elected not to pursue her. When the police finally tracked down the owner of the dog, a pensioner who had moved back from the USA to live out his autumn years in his motherland, his only comment was to refer to the unfortunate woman as a silly bitch who lacked enough sense to climb a telephone pole.

The second story in the newspaper involved a businessman who set up an old construction crane on a bridge which spans the Tisza River and hung from it a bungee cord. He went into business, offering the opportunity to try bungee jumping from his crane, and his first customer was a middle-aged man named Akos, who had a reputation as something of a daredevil. As well as being the business' first customer, Akos had the singular distinction of also being its last. When he jumped from the bridge the stress exerted brought the crane down on top of him. By a miracle he survived his injuries and was expected to make a full recovery, with time.

As absurd and tragic comedic as these stories may appear, they are very real portraits of players in action.

The word "denial" has all sorts of unfortunate connotations, yet it is a necessary part of our psychological make-up. All of us live lives at least partly in denial, yet we tend to ignore this fact or work around it. We therefore end up denying our own denial - a necessary irony (albeit paradoxical), given the important role it plays in stabilising our minds. Denial allows us to filter out those elements in our society which we would rather not see. It acts as a manifestation of the saying "hear no evil...". Where the Players are concerned, they are so far in denial that there is more in life that they deny than that which they accept. Players exist in their own artificially contrived realities, denying the experiences of everyone else when they are at odds with what a player sees and feels and believes to be true. Where we retain some fixed, unchangeable ideas and ideals, the moral compass of a Player is always shifting.

The pedophile is an example of this phenomenon. They serially commit heinous acts while maintaining an impeccable image of propriety before both the world and themselves. It is not by chance that so many of these deviants cloak themselves in the robes of the minister or priest. Not only does it provide them with a perfect cover, and credibility as well, it also perfectly matches their own view of themselves. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of these individuals is that despite the acts they commit, even when apprehended, they continue to see themselves as virtuous. This narcissistic loop is almost impossible to break, making rehabilitation highly unlikely. Being skilled actors, they have no trouble aping the pattern of behavior of a rehabilitee, but this is just another subterfuge.

Narcissists share two key characteristics: a vindictive streak and a sense of entitlement. These traits are actually interrelated. Narcissists consider themselves entitled to have whatever they desire, and in their world there is no distinction between wants, needs and rights. Among these, the supposed "right" to always be a winner is not the least commonplace.

Gratitude does not figure in the narcissist philosophy. They are eternally greedy, and when their greed is not satisfied they become outraged and turn against their former allies. This is the vindictive trait which narcissists all possess, and if left unchecked, it can develop into a grudge which will sustain and control them for years to come.

In conclusion, the Players are driven by the need to win whatever it takes. Their own vanity is what spurs them on, and their inflated pomposity makes them feel entitled to win whatever the reality experienced by the rest of us. They will never compromise, relent or give in. They are insatiable.