Today's Considerations
Today, the invitation is offered for you to consider the major role
that personality disorders play in driving not only employment-type workaholism but also the role that personality disorders play in humankind’s religious, spiritual and
Self-focused workaholism as well as the role
that those disorders play in perpetuating the propensity among religious, spiritual and
Self-focused workaholics to be just as trapped into going and doing and zooming as
the run-of-the-mill-type workaholics.
Consider the results of a 2010 study by Timothy A. Pychvi, Ph.D. of what
he called “The Terrible Trio of Perfectionism, Narcissism and Workaholism.” He
cited his findings and those from another study which also explored the personality
of workaholics. First, be not mistaken: workaholism, whether of the
employment-related variety or of the religion / spiritual / Self-focused variety,
are rooted in personality. That is the irony of the “work” done by so many whose
workaholism is rooted in what was originally Far Eastern philosophies or religions:
While many claim that they are being freed from personality
identification, they nevertheless development the most fixed and rigid personal
identifications imaginable. Moreover, while those so deeply attached to their
religion or spiritual program or Self-Inquiry methods claim their attachments help
them remain humble and at peace, the fact is that those personal (or “Personal”) identities
generate narcissism (just as all personas do) and generate restlessness and going and doing and zooming as well.
Remember: when an ego-state (or Ego-State) is assigned or adopted
as an identity, it will trigger the use of such ego-defense mechanisms as egotism; then, narcissism is guaranteed to result.
Pychvi: “Of interest is the relation of narcissism and
workaholism. That grandiose sense of self-importance that seems to be present
in epidemic proportions in our society is related to the worst aspects of
workaholism, and so was perfectionism” (which is, of course, the narcissism’s
twin sibling). Pychvi continued: “These results reveal something interesting
about the ‘self’."
He noted: “Workaholics are people who work to the exclusion
of other life activities, are consumed with thoughts and feelings about work,
and often do more than is expected at work. Certainly, their lives are not
models of ‘balance’.” Thus, the logical conclusion from the research which confirmed the pervasiveness of a lack of balance among those types is that workaholics, perfectionists, and narcissists are . . . unbalanced.
Pychvi observes that "in many cultures" (especially in those
which are exhibiting more than ever the same traits they have in common with the U.S. culture) "persons commonly exhibit a
grandiose sense of their own self-importance that is central to the
definition of narcissism.”
Recall Wallace’s point: “The trouble with you is that you
have no sense of unimportance”
and
Maharaj’s pointer: “Humility and silence are essential.”
The studies cited revealed that there were several traits which
showed up regularly in workaholics of any variety:
One, excessive neuroticism (emotional instability);
Two: excessive openness to the multi-tasking (going, doing, zooming) component of workaholism;
Three: the Perfectionistic Personality Disorder;
Four: the Narcissistic Personality Disorder;
Five: excessive conscientiousness, as linked to the impatience component
of workaholism (as in, “I seem to be in a hurry and racing against the clock”);
Six: excessive agreeableness - that is, being agreeable to the point of doing
everything that one is told to do by a Master or Religious Leader or Spiritual Guide,
etc.; their agreeableness is of the kind that generates a willingness - which
eventually disintegrates into a full-blown compulsion - to work (as in, "It's hard
for me to relax when I'm not working").
That is another irony witnessed here during the years of
working off and on with non-dual seekers since July of 1989, totaling
twenty-six years last month. In those twenty-six years, it has been witnessed that,
ironically, seekers
work
at
trying to relax
and they
work and go and do and zoom
in order
to unwind, calm down, slow down, let go, loosen up, lighten up, and settle down.
What irony indeed! (And what insanity indeed, too, yes?)
work
at
trying to relax
and they
work and go and do and zoom
in order
to unwind, calm down, slow down, let go, loosen up, lighten up, and settle down.
What irony indeed! (And what insanity indeed, too, yes?)
[Been there. Done that. And though many think that is still the
case here, not knowing that on days when a non-dual post is published, that is the last
moment during the day when anything non-dual is considered. No longer present
are those earlier fascinations with dogma and spiritual exercises and Inquiry
and the love of Self. That all disappeared, just as it did with Maharaj:
Maharaj: “I got involved in spirituality, in the business of
spirituality; finally, I lost that love of Self also. I have no more love for
the Self."
That is all gone, and it all had to go before the last
ego-state and the last identity (and The Last "Identity") could go.]
Dr. Pychvi continued: “The high-standards dimension of perfectionism
(high expectations of self) was also related to overall workaholism.” Additionally, he
could have added what has been observed here, namely, that workaholics - be they
of the employment variety or of the religious / spiritual / Self-focused variety - have high expectations of all others and expect all others to be perfect (meaning,
“Be just like me in thoughts and words and deeds").
What such workaholics of any of those varieties cannot see is that, in terms of their psyches, they differ not at all from the ISIS
fanatics who proudly record and distribute the films of them beheading those
who are not of the same religion or sect as them and who do not work with near
as much dedication at being Super Religious. What?! How?!
Excess is excess. Fanaticism is fanaticism. Zeal is zeal.
Fervor is fervor. Extremism is extremism. It matters not if excess, fanaticism,
zeal, fervor and extremism are fostered in a church; in a synagogue; in a temple; in a mosque; in a self-help
group; in a recovery group; in a family of origin; at an ashram; or at the so-called “holy sites” which
many seekers spend fortunes to visit as their "spiritual journey" includes traveling all around the globe
to "special places" where they can "feel special" (that is, "feel
emotionally-intoxicated" - an emotional state they seek as a result of their subconscious effort to try to counteract the state of boredom they are trapped in and the state of depression they are trapped in, both of which they will deny).
It’s still all about, ironically, going and doing and zooming
in order to stop going and stop doing and stop zooming some day. Or it's about going and doing and zooming in order to be able to assume and maintain the
roles of “The Super Go-er” and “The Super Do-er” and “The Super Zoomer” and “The
Super Religious One” or “The Spiritual Giant” or “The Supreme Self” or even . . . "God."
As far as the relative goes (which is all anyone will ever have a chance to experience and be aware of, the post-manifestation case being that there is no “one” who can experience or know anything) Dr. Pychvi concluded the following:
“My point is, neither perfectionism nor workaholism has a
positive side. Although it can be argued that perfectionism and / or
workaholism result in improved performance in some organizational
circumstances, both result in diminished relationships outside of work and
undermine well-being overall. Each is harmful to us” (again, relatively speaking,
which is really the only thing worth speaking about because the post-manifestation
condition will be characterized by the conscious-energy returning to its pre-manifestation awareness state when awareness was not aware of anything, that only being possible
during the manifestation of consciousness.)
Pychvi said: “What we can see in this study are the relations
between perfectionism, narcissism and workaholism because they are all related
to another underlying variable - a weak sense of self that is plagued with many
irrational thoughts (e.g., 'I must be perfect to have worth' or 'I
must work to have worth,' etc.) and related to an overcompensation for this low
esteem with a paradoxical narcissism (because individuals protect their weak
sense of self with an overcompensation that portrays the self in a grandiose
fashion).”
[As in the dichotomy of one who is being driven simultaneously by both egomania and an inferiority complex, a combination resulting in massive levels of mental and emotional instability which are no fun at all to be around.]
Again, when personality is at play (along with the
personality disorders which always develop if the affliction of personality is
not addressed) then what will also manifest is excess, fanaticism, zeal, fervor
and extremism.
And none of those can possibly contribute to the peace and
freedom and happiness which even a partly-sane seeker is seeking; instead, they
will block any and all efforts to find peace and freedom and happiness.
To those who come this way and who are not only attached to one
or another of the varieties of workaholism but who also want to guard and maintain and protect that attachment at all costs, the
response is: “Then rock on.” Just as is the case with all other types of addicts, most humans seemingly have to experience - in great excess - whatever it is that they are addicted to until
they finally end up tired enough - or in enough pain and misery and suffering - that they might consider seeking the source of their tiredness or of their pain and misery and suffering.
[Yet that is rare and is another fact which led Maharaj to conclude that most will never "get" this deal and why most will, therefore, never be free of ignorance and why most will never be restored to sanity and why most will be blocked from ever stopping all of their doingness long enough to "sit down and relax in the cool blue shade."]
Such is the typical state of affairs among humans whereby peace and
freedom and happiness are valued far less than personality disorders such as workaholism
and narcissism and perfectionism and wherein the accompanying excess, fanaticism, zeal,
fervor and extremism which manifest alongside those disorders are normalized and highly rated and even ennobled.
To be continued.
Please enter the silence of contemplation.
[NOTE:
The four most recent posts follow. You may access all of the posts in
this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.]
