Starvin Larry

A baby knows one perspective: his own. Feed me, now! Change my diaper, now! Figure out why I’m crying and do something about it, now! The baby is aware of other people, particularly parents and caregivers, but they are instruments for the fulfillment of his demands. He is unaware of anything about these people upon whom he is completely dependent, beyond their ability to meet those demands.

Growing up, awareness and knowledge of other people increase, however an infantile element often remains. Others are no longer perceived solely as slaves to the satisfaction of one’s physical needs; they exist to gratify an emotional and psychological need for attention and reinforcement. Call it the mirror stage of development, summed up by the phrase: “Look at me!” This stage characterizes much of the US population, where solipsism often retards or halts continuing evolution of individual psyches. Mirror psychology leads individuals to associate…