Narcissistic or not?
Replies
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Do you think it would be obnoxious to show off your new Ferrari? and post pictures every time you wash it on a sunny afternoon?
Doing the same with a sporty body will get the same reactions from the same people.
ENVY.3 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.5 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha2 -
I have never understood why it's okay to brag about just about anything except the progress you make with your body (after a certain point. You can get away with posting "I lost 20 pounds!" as long as you are still visibly overweight.) People post pictures of their kids, their houses, their cars, graduation photos, new baby, etc., but if you are proud of what you did in the gym, you are a narcissist. Drives me crazy. And it doesn't just apply to flexing in front of the mirror poses. I've had friends get all bent out of shape when I posted a picture of a new pole or silks move I was proud to have finally achieved.3
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Is it actually a benefit socially? I would argue that that while it might be for one segment of people, it isn't for a very large section. His weight and physique are presumably not effecting his ability to be a social human.There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Functionally? maybe but that's very dependent on what one's functional wants and needs are. I mean he's presumably not actually showing pictures of himself doing things other than standing. No pictures running, biking, climbing, not doing something functional that clearly takes a fair amount of strength and/or flexibility. Standing.
As an aside, if someone were posting pictures of their Ferrari over and over again I would assume that it was essentially a "look how much money I have!" sort of thing.2 -
FYI - involvement in most social media platforms implies a certain amount of narcissism and ego. It requires an inherent assumption/belief that people are interested in you.
Posting any picture of yourself is ego-driven and narcissistic behavior unless it's a group picture that you're trying to share with others or something or unless it's posted for any other specific purpose than "look at me".3 -
Not saying I endorse, but I thought the timing of this showing up in my twitter feed was amusing.
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Why do some individuals perceive one to be a tool for posting a physique picture? I am proud of my own progress and most people are supportive. However, some people always think I’m egotistical or arrogant for doing so. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
keep posting them, I'm totally ok with it LOL
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most narcissists won't question whether or not they are a narcissist. i'd tend to think a narcissist would love the reaction they would get from anyone whether it's negative or positive and would just love the fact that they are the topic and the main focus of conversation. everyone has a small bit of narcissism. it's the full blown narcissistic people you have to look out for.1
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There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
How much noticeable progress do you think a lifter makes in a day or even a week? The reason we take progress pics and compare them months apart is that it becomes impossible to see a day to day difference. So, just like that Ferrari - posting dozens of updates every week has the same effect as that guy posting pics of his car over and over... it's not like there has been significant change.
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There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...10 -
Mouse_Potato wrote: »I have never understood why it's okay to brag about just about anything except the progress you make with your body (after a certain point. You can get away with posting "I lost 20 pounds!" as long as you are still visibly overweight.) People post pictures of their kids, their houses, their cars, graduation photos, new baby, etc., but if you are proud of what you did in the gym, you are a narcissist. Drives me crazy. And it doesn't just apply to flexing in front of the mirror poses. I've had friends get all bent out of shape when I posted a picture of a new pole or silks move I was proud to have finally achieved.Mouse_Potato wrote: »I have never understood why it's okay to brag about just about anything except the progress you make with your body (after a certain point. You can get away with posting "I lost 20 pounds!" as long as you are still visibly overweight.) People post pictures of their kids, their houses, their cars, graduation photos, new baby, etc., but if you are proud of what you did in the gym, you are a narcissist. Drives me crazy. And it doesn't just apply to flexing in front of the mirror poses. I've had friends get all bent out of shape when I posted a picture of a new pole or silks move I was proud to have finally achieved.
Exactly! I have 25 total Instagram photos and only 2 are of my physique. The rest are pictures with friends and family. Even with that I still get backlash hahah. I used to try and explain why I’m proud and justify it to people. Now I just let people talk as much as they want. I can’t change how they feel, and I don’t plan on changing what I post to appease others.2 -
Ask a formerly obese person if his or her social life has improved after losing weight. There are plenty of social benefits to getting fit.
Is it actually a benefit socially?There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Getting fit WILL improve your functional fitness, regardless of which photos you post. Even if you don't specifically focus on functional fitness, though that would be ideal.Functionally? maybe but that's very dependent on what one's functional wants and needs are. I mean he's presumably not actually showing pictures of himself doing things other than standing. No pictures running, biking, climbing, not doing something functional that clearly takes a fair amount of strength and/or flexibility. Standing.
Remember, all I said is that improving one's body DOES improve functional performance. I said nothing about whether one's photos should demonstrate this specifically.
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jseams1234 wrote: »There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
How much noticeable progress do you think a lifter makes in a day or even a week? The reason we take progress pics and compare them months apart is that it becomes impossible to see a day to day difference. So, just like that Ferrari - posting dozens of updates every week has the same effect as that guy posting pics of his car over and over... it's not like there has been significant change.
Did I say that one should post photos daily, or even weekly? I did not.
Moreover, one can post photos that demonstrate different aspects of improvement. A better deadlift one day, perhaps. The emphasizing fat loss on another day. I don't do that sort of thing, but I won't be begrudge people who do.2 -
Mouse_Potato wrote: »I have never understood why it's okay to brag about just about anything except the progress you make with your body (after a certain point. You can get away with posting "I lost 20 pounds!" as long as you are still visibly overweight.) People post pictures of their kids, their houses, their cars, graduation photos, new baby, etc., but if you are proud of what you did in the gym, you are a narcissist. Drives me crazy. And it doesn't just apply to flexing in front of the mirror poses. I've had friends get all bent out of shape when I posted a picture of a new pole or silks move I was proud to have finally achieved.Mouse_Potato wrote: »I have never understood why it's okay to brag about just about anything except the progress you make with your body (after a certain point. You can get away with posting "I lost 20 pounds!" as long as you are still visibly overweight.) People post pictures of their kids, their houses, their cars, graduation photos, new baby, etc., but if you are proud of what you did in the gym, you are a narcissist. Drives me crazy. And it doesn't just apply to flexing in front of the mirror poses. I've had friends get all bent out of shape when I posted a picture of a new pole or silks move I was proud to have finally achieved.
Exactly! I have 25 total Instagram photos and only 2 are of my physique. The rest are pictures with friends and family. Even with that I still get backlash hahah. I used to try and explain why I’m proud and justify it to people. Now I just let people talk as much as they want. I can’t change how they feel, and I don’t plan on changing what I post to appease others.
Ah, ok... this is a bit different. 2 out of 25 pics isn't going overboard at all... for some reason I had visions of daily updates and new poses - flashy new yoga pants (lol) and the quest to find the optimal angle and lighting. If people are freaking out over two pics it's not you - it's them.4 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different8 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different
*sigh*
You're 17 and in college, right? I'm 41 with a job, family, home, car, etc etc.
Our experiences/perspectives might be a bit different on this one.5 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different
*sigh*
You're 17 and in college, right? I'm 41 with a job, family, home, car, etc etc.
Our experiences/perspectives might be a bit different on this one.
I’m 21 so yeah maybe I’m just young and dumb. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and concede that maybe my youth makes me bliss.3 -
I think it all comes down to a follower's personal preference on what they're going to think. I, for one, love seeing my friends happy with whatever they are doing in life. Posting occasional pictures of their progress would not make me think they are being narcissistic, but proud.
On the other hand, if a friend was posting, "look at my 6-pack in this lighting... now this lighting," every 5 minutes, it might start to grate on me. Humble progress is great, bragging progress is not.
This is all based on my personal opinion though. I once read, "You can not control other people. You can only control your reactions to them." If you enjoy posting progress pictures - post! Ignore the negativity, but also accept you may lose some "followers" who feel that way.2 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different
*sigh*
You're 17 and in college, right? I'm 41 with a job, family, home, car, etc etc.
Our experiences/perspectives might be a bit different on this one.
I’m 21 so yeah maybe I’m just young and dumb. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and concede that maybe my youth makes me bliss.
I'm 47 and my advanced age has made me.... old and cranky mostly - at least according to my wife. 0 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different
*sigh*
You're 17 and in college, right? I'm 41 with a job, family, home, car, etc etc.
Our experiences/perspectives might be a bit different on this one.
I’m 21 so yeah maybe I’m just young and dumb. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and concede that maybe my youth makes me bliss.
The bigger point was that "difficult" is a relative term, and what you're naturally good, interested in, etc will impact what you perceive as difficult. Some people naturally eat well and/or are active. Some people are naturally career driven. What one person perceives as difficult may be very easy to another. So judging something as more or less difficult and then imposing that degree of difficulty on others is problematic.
In both cases (physique and material possessions), if we're talking about things in terms of "elite" (stage-ready physique vs simply not overweight, or supercar vs just not a minivan)... then we're talking about very high levels of discipline, consistency, effort and determination. That's the point. Not that one is better or more/less worthy of judgement, but that both require similar discipline to achieve. The practice/method to achieve them may be completely different, but the discipline and time and such is similar.5 -
idk, i've posted new aerial hammock and lyra, and dog photos, and garmin photos, and nature stuff on instagram and i've not had a negative response. a few people have called out friends because they can't see mats under their aerial hammock photos but otherwise, i've had a very positive experience
edit: and OP, so long as you don't seem like an arrogant turd while posting re: the caption, then i think it's great to see how people are improving themselves0 -
If I had bangin' muscles, I would most certainly post about them.
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There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different
See, I don't think posting physique photos is narcissistic, but this statement kind of is The work I do is hard, and the work other people do isn't.
I can guarantee you there are plenty of folks out there working 2 jobs/80 hrs a week while taking care of a family who finally reach some form of financial independence and get to buy their dream car, who would find eating clean and training a walk in the park. There are lots of things people work their *kittens* off to get. I don't think you'll get much support for the idea that a ripped physique is the toughest.
And please don't take this as snarky, I just think sometimes you need to think about how something looks or sounds to other people. The folks who criticize you posting your pictures probably think you spending all that time to make yourself look better isn't nearly as important/hard as whatever they are working for. 8 -
I could not care less about what people post, i don't even have a facebook/instagram profile, but when they hog a machine at the gym, taking pics in front of the mirror... That really pi$$es me off.
F'n Instagram made me start going to the gym at 5 am.2 -
I rarely used Instagram till I started my weight loss/gym journey a month ago. Now I like to post pictures mainly for myself. Only face shots for now coz the bod need hella more work yet.
If people don’t like it, tough. It’s my instagram and I’ll post what I want!0 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different
See, I don't think posting physique photos is narcissistic, but this statement kind of is The work I do is hard, and the work other people do isn't.
I can guarantee you there are plenty of folks out there working 2 jobs/80 hrs a week while taking care of a family who finally reach some form of financial independence and get to buy their dream car, who would find eating clean and training a walk in the park. There are lots of things people work their *kittens* off to get. I don't think you'll get much support for the idea that a ripped physique is the toughest.
And please don't take this as snarky, I just think sometimes you need to think about how something looks or sounds to other people. The folks who criticize you posting your pictures probably think you spending all that time to make yourself look better isn't nearly as important/hard as whatever they are working for.
You’re right, I was wrong to make that comment.1 -
There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Exactly this, a well built physique isn’t the same as a material possession. It reflects hard work and dedication and even mental determination. It could be worse, I could be posting duck face selfies... lol. Completely a joke, if you like duck face selfies, I apologize haha
And earning/saving the money to afford a Ferrari (assuming not a trust fund baby) doesn't take hard work, dedication, determination?
Careful there my young egotistian...
It’s definitely not the same as earning a sculpted physique. Having to eat clean and train weekly is one of the toughest things I have to do. Saving money is tough for sure, however I really don’t see a comparison between the two. Having a nice car and having a nice body are completely different
See, I don't think posting physique photos is narcissistic, but this statement kind of is The work I do is hard, and the work other people do isn't.
I can guarantee you there are plenty of folks out there working 2 jobs/80 hrs a week while taking care of a family who finally reach some form of financial independence and get to buy their dream car, who would find eating clean and training a walk in the park. There are lots of things people work their *kittens* off to get. I don't think you'll get much support for the idea that a ripped physique is the toughest.
And please don't take this as snarky, I just think sometimes you need to think about how something looks or sounds to other people. The folks who criticize you posting your pictures probably think you spending all that time to make yourself look better isn't nearly as important/hard as whatever they are working for.
You’re right, I was wrong to make that comment.
It's no biggie, but maybe it can give you some insight on the people who don't like your physique posts. :drinker:2 -
Lol!! This made me laugh. I follow a girl I went to high school with on Instagram and she posts pictures and videos of herself at the gym every. Single. Day. Either of her actually working out or selfies In the locker room mirror. Except she goes at 5am too. (Kinda weird that I know about her gym habits but that’s what happens when you broadcast it on Instagram I guess) We are 29. I just feel that’s a little sad.I could not care less about what people post, i don't even have a facebook/instagram profile, but when they hog a machine at the gym, taking pics in front of the mirror... That really pi$$es me off.
F'n Instagram made me start going to the gym at 5 am.2 -
Ask a formerly obese person if his or her social life has improved after losing weight. There are plenty of social benefits to getting fit.
Is it actually a benefit socially?There's little point in posting photos of the same Ferrari over and over. It's not as though the car is going to get more beautiful with time. Not to mention that it's basically a vapid status symbol.
Human beings can and do make progress with their bodies, though. Not to mention that improving one's body is beneficial both socially and for functional performance.
Getting fit WILL improve your functional fitness, regardless of which photos you post. Even if you don't specifically focus on functional fitness, though that would be ideal.Functionally? maybe but that's very dependent on what one's functional wants and needs are. I mean he's presumably not actually showing pictures of himself doing things other than standing. No pictures running, biking, climbing, not doing something functional that clearly takes a fair amount of strength and/or flexibility. Standing.
Remember, all I said is that improving one's body DOES improve functional performance. I said nothing about whether one's photos should demonstrate this specifically.
And you misrepresented what I said - I can't say I'm shocked. Note that I wrote, "Is it actually a benefit socially? I would argue that that while it might be for one segment of people, it isn't for a very large section. His weight and physique are presumably not effecting his ability to be a social human." I will concede that I probably should have said, "his current weight based on the picture in his profile." Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of people in the world who don't care how muscular you look with your clothes off. Most people that you interact with on a daily basis really don't care, and why would they?
I can think of plenty of people for whom losing weight wouldn't actually improve their social lives. Plenty of other non-physical health related things would, but losing weight, not so much. Given the NIH's definition of what obese is I would include some of those people in that "losing weight isn't going to help you socially" category.
edit: In terms of functional fitness? What type of functional performance are you actually talking about? What may be useful for one thing may very well be counter productive for another. The opposite is true as well (hence for example, a number of crossover athletes from speed skating to cycling).2
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