Rageboy says that OTHER PEOPLE’S PERSONAL SHORTCOMINGS MAKE IT HARD FOR THEM TO GIVE ME THE COMPLIMENTS AND ATTENTION THAT ARE DUE ME.

You MUST read the entire thing to properly dislocate your diaphragm, but here’s a meta-quote from Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders, 2nd edition:

A great way to come down with a case of ‘medical student’s disease’ is to read a survey of personality disorders. For example, a reader of Milton’s (1982) impressive summary of each of the categories for personality disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition (DSM-III; All-American Psychiatric Association, 1980) can believe that he or she has nearly every personality disorder there is. Probably any remaining disorders cab be assigned to one’s spouse.

…Who does not suffer from official ‘symptoms’ of personality disorders, including idealization, devaluation, vanity, temper outbursts, boredom, seductiveness, rapidly shifting emotions, devastation in face of criticism, needs to be special or unique, failures in empathy, cruelty, infidelity, working too hard, working too little, hypervigilance, ideas of reference [see Little House on the Prairie], odd mannerisms, wanting to be too intimate, wanting to be too distant, needing advice about little things, being too autonomous, having trouble getting started, feeling devastated when a relationship ends, being perfectionistic, being irresponsible, being too bossy, being too deferential, being withdrawn, hating being alone, wanting acceptance but fearing rejection, resenting others’ control, or being critical of authorities?

Many thanks to Doc Searls for the link! This made my day…