Anthony Weiner Resigns!

It is a good day to post a comment about Congressman Anthony Weiner, as he’s finally resigned. Seeing how poorly his decision-making has been of late, we can all be relieved that he’s no longer making decisions that affect us and our country.

He’s in strong denial and self-absorbed? Most certainly! But is there something else about Mr. Weiner’s behavior that talks to his deeper motivation to share his “wares” with the world. The Greek myth about Narcissus might shed a little light here. Like Narcissus, the Congressman needed affirmation of his desirability and self-worth to the extent that he risked everything for it. Twitter opened him to an endless supply of women who had the potential of bolstering a fragile self-esteem. This psychological vulnerability took precedence over his sense and his care for his wife, family, constituents, and self.

What is the moral to Mr. Weiner’s story? Twitter and other social networks are powerful social pools of self-expression, community feedback, and self-esteem regulation. We can begin to over rely on them to meet psychological needs that are not getting met in our day to day lives. The more fragile our self-worth and the more stress we are under, the greater risk we are at for letting the pitfalls of social networks get the best of us.

What’s your take on my post today?

 

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3 Responses to “Anthony Weiner Resigns!”

  1. avatar Amanda says:

    The thing I find the most aggravating about this Anthony Weiner situation is… **drum roll** …THE SHEER STUPIDITY of such actions by an otherwise seemingly intelligent and accomplished man. I'm not even speaking about his engagement in illicit internet relationships – forget his affinity for photographing himself in the buff; put aside the lies and the cover-up ("I was hacked!!" Oh, what-EVER.). For a second let's ignore his glaring, incessant need for validation and/or reverence – probably some deep-seated yearning born of a 21st-century (digital) variation on the Madonna-Whore complex…What I simply can NOT get over is how Weiner contacted these women using his REAL name and sent inappropriate photographs over an open public channel, effectively turning Twitter into his own tawdry little tool (pun intended). It's one thing if he were intent on doing this on Facebook, where there is at LEAST some privacy (e.g., you can't send things to people who are not within your Friend Network). But on Twitter, Congressman Weiner accidentally hit "@" when he meant to hit "D" (for Direct Message) on his phone. Surely, one day our descendants will still be gawking at "the typo heard round the world."It's really quite sad that in a single split second, the promise of a man's political legacy, and the sum of everything he has ever worked for went *poof*! Gone like yesterday's tweets. Now all he will ever be remembered for is his childishness and irresponsibility. At least no one will ever forget his name.

  2. avatar Anonymous says:

    I think you are right-on Dr. Deborah. In Weiner's case, I think low self-esteem and narcissism existed simultaneously. Perhaps his need for affirmation perpetuated his narcissim to feed his low self-esteem. In any case, one would think that his intelligence would have over-ridden this behavior. Very stupid and glad he resigned.

  3. Thanks guys. People like the Congressman, and unfortunately there have been many like him in politics throughout the years, get us scratching our heads. What were they thinking? Extreme needs for approval and lovability can make a person act stupid. The needs either overwhelm reason and good judgment or were so unmet in youth that the part of the brain involved in judgment and responsible action never fully matured. I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s so sad that in a split second, Anthony Weiner's life would change forever. It used to be that a person would have to work a little harder, spend more time destroying his career. The internet has made it so much easier today for a person to act out sexual indiscretions and infidelity. And, it’s a readily-available platform for fulfilling all types of desires. You know, if Mr. Weiner went the traditional route to act out his desires, he may have come to his senses before getting caught. Before the internet, he would have had to find a source to find women, ask them out, meet them, and even pay for a meal before sharing his good fortune with them. At the least, all of the work involved in acting out his fantasies may have given his brain enough time to put a lid on his private parts!Isn’t it interesting Amanda that because we can communicate so intimately today on the internet through email and photos that it instills in some a false sense of safety. This isn’t the first time the internet has lulled a person into a false sense of security. People with narcissistic issues have to be especially careful of this tendency, because of the reasons I mention here.Well, you stimulate such interesting subjects through this single event that I do go on. Thank you everyone for your support.

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