White Guilt is actually White Narcissism

[Hortensis]

17. What would be new about people behaving well

in order to feel good about themselves? Got news (old news) -- that's how we are wired. Scientists are very insulting about this. To read their analyses every good act is performed in order to get a little shot of biochemical joy juice. I expect we have more to learn. But...narcissism? Wouldn't feeling happy and good from being good need a little more massaging to become actual self admiration?

How big is this supposed "white guilt," though, anyway? This discussion seems like the kind of precious thing that would grow up in precious environments where people are encouraged to develop conceits about their special sensitivity (a promotion of narcissism in fact as well as theory), like university campuses.

Normal people know we are part and parcel of extremely imperfect and racist societies, whether we want to be or not, and I don't think most of us waste more time "white guilting" ourselves about that any more than men here go around "guy-guilting" themselves because of their advantages over women. I do feel bad, for instance, that people are being hurt because in over 200 years we have not yet extended the principle of "all men are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" to all. But that's something else, not guilt. And principles are real, joy juice or not.