Philosophy is at least partly that which we aren't, and that which we are striving to be, or at least partly striving to be, but which we are at least partly (or mainly) held back by other underlying and opposing psychic forces (goals, drives), usually narcissistic-transference forces (Schopenhauer, Freud), or in some cases, the reverse.
In other words, usually altruism is the 'idealistic suppressed goal' and narcissism is the 'current dominant reality', but alternatively, altruism may be the 'current dominant reality' and 'narcissism is the suppressed underlying goal'.
-- dgb, Jan. 1st, 2010.
-- David Gordon Bain
