I stand by it - most activists I have met (and particularly young activists) have turned their attention out into the world to make changes they feel are necessary without ever really addressing any of the core issues in their own psychology.

And i don't mean this in just a liberal way either - activists on the right behave in much the same way. There's very little difference in my mind between the angry man who writes numerous letters to the local council about the bins and someone constantly looking for a crusade - sure the scope is bigger, but the former is usually more successful. The former can become happy little activists, the latter less so.

And the self-esteem gap is important.... a failure to acknowledge you are a flawed, self-centred, misanthropic thundercunt of the highest order and be fine with that, is the first step towards having very little self esteem. You can prop the gap up with sociopathy, religion or being on the hedonic treadmill but until you are prepared to acknowledge that, you're stuck with low self-esteem. Those fighting for 'good' without really fundamentally understanding that is impossible are doomed to perpetual low-self esteem and the need for validation by the group.

Trust me, I'm a doctor. Well... I'm not, but I am a Penguin, and as previously mentioned a misanthropic thundercunt. Would love to know what you and the Urchling think of such things. :o)