Fame or anonymity? The question isn't just a fork in the road; it's a grenade on my lap, ticking down. Why do we crave the spotlight, the heat, the eyes—all hungry for a piece of us. Next breath, we're yearning to vanish, blend into the backdrop, unseen, unknown. It's not vanity. It's survival, a primal dance on the razor's edge of our modern maze. This tension isn't for the faint-hearted; it's for those who dare to stare down both barrels of life's shotgun and ask, 'Is that all you've got?'

Here's the raw deal: I'm drafting a war map, not for the meek, but for warriors of the self, ready to dive headfirst into this storm. Forget about choosing sides. This is about owning the battleground, every inch of it—your spotlight, your shadow, your stage. We're not just playing the game; we're rewriting the rules, mid-play, under fire. Strap in; this is no fairy tale. It's a declaration of war on the ordinary, a battle hymn for the brave. Welcome to the front lines of your own life.

The Guide to Public Presentability for the Modern Self Aware Narcissist.

- by Rwb3n(The Artist Formerly Known as That Arsehole)

Introduction - You Are All That Exists
Here's the deal: you're the sun, and the rest of us are just orbiting your brilliance. But remember, even the sun has its spots. You're the main character in this tragicomedy called life, so fucking act like it. But don't get too cocky; every sun sets eventually.

Part 1 - Accept Mortality
You're going to die. I'm going to die. We're all going to shuffle off this mortal coil. So what? Use it. Let the finite nature of your existence be the nitro in your engine. Burn bright, burn fast, but for fuck's sake, don't burn out before the party's over.

Part 2 - Reject Society
Society's a scam, a pyramid scheme where the house always wins. So what do you do? You cheat the system. You make your own rules, follow your own path. Let them call you a rebel, a pariah. They're just pissed they didn't have the balls to do it first.

Part 3 - Infiltrate The Conscious
Get into their heads. Be the whisper in the night, the shadow just out of sight. You want fame? You want to be the object of desire? Make them think you're everywhere and nowhere. A mystery, a riddle wrapped in an enigma, wearing a really cool hat.

Part 4 - Shatter the Dogma
Fuck the status quo. Break the chains of conventional wisdom. If they say it's white, you say it's black. If they go left, you go right. Better yet, go up. Always keep them guessing, always keep them wanting more.

Part 5 - Ride the Wave or Drown
Life's a bitch, and then you die. So ride that bitch like she's the last wave on the way to shore. You might wipe out, you might eat shit, but at least you'll have the scars to show you've lived.

Part 6 - Leave a Trail, Draw a Map
You're here for a good time, not a long time, so leave a mark. Make sure they remember your name long after you're gone. Graffiti your essence on the walls of eternity, but leave a map so those worthy can follow.

Part 7 - The Meek and the Merciful
Screw 'em. This isn't about them. It's about you. The meek might inherit the earth, but who wants it? You're aiming for the stars, baby. Let the merciful clean up the mess. You've got bigger fish to fry.

Ending - You Don't Exist
And here's the kicker: none of this matters. You, me, all of this—it's a blip on the cosmic radar. So what do you do? You laugh. You love. You live like you're the fucking king of the world, because in your world, you are.

Epilogue

And here we have the twist in the tale, the sobering chaser to the intoxicating shot. Amidst all the grandstanding and the ego trips, there's this nugget of cosmic wisdom: be good to others, because they are you.

It's like looking in a fucked-up mirror that reflects not just your face, but your soul, your essence.

In this adventure where you're both the hero and the villain, it's easy to forget that every person you meet is fighting their own battle, starring in their own personal shitshow.

The connections, the invisible threads that bind us all without ever realising it, that's the real magic. It's the plot twist that turns the narcissist's guide into a manifesto for empathy.

So, as you carve your path through the wilderness of life, remember that your actions echo in the lives of others. The kindness you show, the respect you give, the love you share—they ripple outwards, affecting the world in ways you can't even imagine.

Trust me, I've witness the rippling effect and it's terrifying, beautiful. Makes my nuts shrivel into my body...

It's the ultimate paradox though, isn't it? To truly embrace your own existence, you must recognize yourself in everyone else.

In a universe that's indifferent to our struggles, where we're all just trying to make sense of the chaos, being good to others is what makes us human.

It's what makes life worth living. So yes, be that glorious, self-aware arsehole who lights up the sky. But also be the one who uses their light to guide others out of the darkness.

Remember, in the grand, fucked-up scheme of things, we're all just walking each other home.

END

Addendum

Remind yourself every time, that you're not just knocking on your neighbour's door to check if he's alive; you're reaffirming your own existence, your own connection to the fabric of humanity.

This isn't just altruism for the sake of feeling good; it's recognizing that every person you help, every life you touch, is a chapter in your own story.

Those community workshops? Sure, they might seem like throwing seeds on concrete, but what you're really doing is laying down a challenge to the universe, saying, "Here I am, you fucker, making a difference."

You're planting trees in a forest you might never see, those trees will provide shade for others long after you're gone. Someone might fuck it up, but at the most you made something that required the fucking up of - lest it become the fucker.

And yeah, choose to live by your own script, to hell with the expectations and the 'should-dos,' that's the purest form of rebellion. It's a giant middle finger to the husks, to the system that grinds down dreams and spits out despair.

You're the gnarled, crooked tree, thriving in your unique splendor, living on your own damn terms. Not just avoiding becoming another chopped-down cinnamon or gum tree that's commodified and consumed.

This is the ultimate "Fuck you" to conformity and resignation. It's acknowledging that if the world's going to fuck with you, you're going to fuck right back, but on your own terms. You're going to leave your mark, not as a scar, but as a beacon. A testament to living fully, wildly, authentically.

You're not just surviving; you're thriving, you're teaching, you're learning, you're loving. And in doing so, you become immortal.

So yeah, fuck you all dearly. 🍻 Because in that defiance, in that fiery commitment to being unapologetically me, I find the true meaning of life.