I think the OP may be misreading this. I’ll give you an example of a similar situation. Now, mind you it’s anecdotal, but it may open another avenue of thought on this subject.
My father-in-law grew up with two other brothers, he was the middle child. Their father was a great lawyer and was establishing a law school in the area. The boys rarely spent time with their father, due to his career ambitions. When they were able to spend time with him, he was kind, but perfunctory and brief. They greatly admired and wanted to be like him, but they were given no discipline or paternal guidance.
Their mother was a detached, emotionless dilettante. She made sure all the boys’ needs were met, but she was, normally, too preoccupied by the current fad or event to give them any in-depth attention.
This turned the boys into a family within the family. They developed their own hierarchy, as most brothers do. The eldest was the ruler. My father-in-law was constantly challenging his tyranny. The youngest became the peacemaker. All seems pretty balanced, right? They grew up in a good family; they had two popular and successful parents, so they should have all turned out fine.
The eldest went to college, got a degree in advertising, began playing in a crappy Jimmy Buffet-esque band and started doing drugs. He continues this lifestyle, to this day. He is so thin, it’s saddening and drinks to vomiting at nearly every family event.
The youngest went to college and dropped out. He moved to California to become an actor, later returning, paranoid and delusional. He lived with his mother for many years, exhibiting all manner of strange behavior, to include drilling a peep-hole in his bedroom to see who was out there. He was certain Bill Clinton had people watching him. At another family event, we had a casual conversation on the porch, while I smoked. It all seemed pretty normal, until he started asking about my military service. He started inquiring, suspiciously, if I had ever worked with the Mossad, the Israeli Intelligence Agency. I tried to stay away from private conversations with him, after that.
My father-in-law, while semi-successful in his career, shares something with all his brothers, intense narcissism. They either don’t realize or care they what they say or do can affect those around them. They also have social issues, as none of them handle social occasions well. Whether it be the eldest, drinking to oblivion, the youngest retracting to a dark corner or in the case of my father-in-law, making insulting and thoughtless statements for, apparently, no reason.
We all wondered what happened in that household to screw these people up this much. Then, I saw Crumb. It opened my eyes up to a lot. I think it was the parents' fault. Sometimes it isn't what is done to you, but what isn't done to you.
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