ABSTRACT
Brenda lived with the consequences of her sacrifice—the frustration of her true self—in her desiccated heart. All political struggles, from Brenda's feminist dream to the struggles of Irish nationalists and Black Americans, are ultimately about respect and recognition. True respect and recognition arise only when there is no single power or way of being to be emulated—such as white middle-class males. This chapter analyzes the role of competitiveness in frustrating the expression and development of the true self. The case is argued that equality is incompatible with a meritocracy and that competitive individualism is not only damaging to the individual but to society as a whole. The contradiction is explained by the fact that two fundamental needs of the self were in conflict, namely: the need for esteem and the need for authenticity. Narcissism can also manifest in identification with the collective in order to borrow strength or support for a damaged or fragile sense of individual identity.
