Posted by Jan den Breejen on March 28, 2001 at 23:32:59:
Elias Canetti (1905-1994)
Novelist Canetti's character seems to have a unique blend of great empathic power combined with periodic outbursts of selfish anger. I would call it 'imaginative semi-empathy'; Canetti enjoyed observing people and dreaming himself into being other people and living the lives of fictional characters (he even could mentally make alive the people on a wall tapestry which he say) and animals. This daydreaming imagination made feel fear and most importantly allowed to write such lucid character caricatures which stick in you mind; like the dwarf who wanted to become world champion chess player. But Elias' empathic imagination didn't lead him to actively help people or assist his mother or do some manual work. So there was that other pole in his character; egocentrism; he wanted to do his own creative thing and be left alone with his book collection; being able to read without being bothered by other people's needs. His mother called him a 'lazy parasite, …vainly looking down/being contemptuous of people who did work'. And the dark side which was mostly hidden sometimes appeared when he was a child; he was clearly a vulcanic character who could periodically react with fierce intensity towards people who frustrated his personal little needs. He once got punished for attacking an elder girl who went to school - which he didn't at that time - but refused his wish to learn reading; he angrily had followed this poor girl with an axe!! (most passive agressive people dare to unload their agressive feelings only towards targets which will not fight back like objects or defenseless people)
Classification: could be Leisurely Style (Passive - Agressive personality)
Jan