Narrow-mindedness and Narcissism are frequent bunkmates.

It is quintessentially narcissistic to presume that everyone else should believe, think and act the way You do. Most of us have been here. It’s essentially part of human nature, but do we ever explore this behavior more deeply, to understand the root of it?

There’s a huge difference between gently guiding folks who solicit or ask for your input or guidance, and proselytizing. People who try to inflict their beliefs on others, are deeply insecure at their core. If one is firm and sturdy in their beliefs, they bask in the joy of this state of being, and have no need to convince others that theirs is the “only” way to salvation, happiness or Heaven.

I spent my teenage years trapped in a home with bible thumpers. My Jewish-born dad became a “Jew for Jesus,” because he desperately needed something/anything to anchor him, and to his fellow church members, he was a virtual celebrity! When I could finally escape that house, I realized how insecure and narrow-minded these “adults” who knew literally NOTHING about adolescent development were. Their ignorance along with their hyper-controlling natures, nearly caused my suicide.

Truly secure, emotionally evolved people don’t shove their beliefs down the throats of others. They’ve found what gives them inner-peace, and do not presume to know what everyone else needs to achieve it! And no, folks… we are NOT all shaped with the same cookie-cutter! Different people have different needs, and there’s no such thing as a Universal Panacea.

By the same token, anyone who is genuinely secure about their sexual prowess or gender preference, their scholastic achievements, or how many homes, boats, cars and planes they own, feels no need to TALK about it! Religious proselytizing has always struck me as a form of bragging. I mean, who the fuck made fundamentalists and the like, think their way was the ONLY way to relate to one’s higher power?! This in my view, is Narcissism’s most blatant hour.

To me, this behavior is sinfully invalidating to anyone who has forged an ongoing, intimate and real relationship with their deity. And how many of us actually welcome those folks who are compelled to go door to door, carrying with ‘em the assumption that their “job” is to lead us to everlasting light? It’s absurdly egocentric to the point of being infuriating!

I’m highly opinionated, yet I’m a live-and-let-live kinda dame. I believe there should be a lot more people like me on this planet, because it would mean there’d be no more wars. When we try to inflict our views and opinions on others, it typically means we’re bored or discontent with our own existence.

Giving unsolicited advice or guidance to others may feel good to Us (particularly if we have Codependent leanings), but it generally catalyzes resentment from others who most of the time, wish we’d just stay in our own damned lane.

My dad left me with many little pearls of wisdom. One was, “stay in your own configuration,” which meant don’t stick your nose in other people’s business! Another was, “more wars are fought in the name of religion, than any other cause.” If ya think about it, you might agree he was right.

So, if you’re not a live-and-let-live kinda person and ya wanna presume that YOUR beliefs and way of convening with your deity are the ONLY way, maybe you oughta check your narcissism at the Substack dashboard, and stay the fuck off my timeline.