In case you haven't noticed, my husband is extremely handsome

[NotUsually]

If anyone can manage to sit through this podcast between Meghan and Jamie Kern Lima, what are your thoughts about Meghan saying this?
And what are your thoughts on Meghan in general after watching her talking with Jamie here?
I don't know if I'm BU but I pick up on narcissist vibes.

I'm much less comfortable with people's tactics being solely to denigrate and belittle other's opinions.

I suspect that kind of transactional, shallow relationship is what actually passes for friendship in that part of the world. Probably neither woman would understand what's wrong with it.

What I have come to think about Meghan is: yes, she's utterly fake in everything she does and says, but I don't think she knows any other way. I don't think there's anything inside her - nothing real at all. She's created herself out of a combination of a weird childhood on film and TV sets and a bundle of deep, unacknowledged insecurities. I really find it hard to imagine her behaving in an authentic, natural and honest way in any context.

I am not belittling anyone, there is really no need for you to take offence. I am just saying I find armchair diagnoses rather unpleasant. You are quite entitled to think otherwise.

I'm much less comfortable with the MN fad for jumping automatically to armchair diagnoses.

I agree.

Why is me expressing an opinion that I find armchair diagnoses uncomfortable... belittling or denigrating anyone.
Am I not allowed to feel that?

Obviously not!

I think she has a way of expressing herself that the average Brit would balk at.

For example if she said 'I think my husband is very handsome' it would show evaluation and context. She put it as fact however.

@Extiainoiapeial - I agree with you in that I too am uncomfortable with armchair diagnoses. It is easy to google some traits and apply them to someone. Now, I reserve the right to say M spouts stuff I think is ridiculous , seems like if she says something enough people will believe her , and does an awful lot to big herself up on SM. BUT I am not a psychiatrist and so I would not say she is a narcissist because I am not qualified to say. I think with what she puts out there's enough to criticise (or indeed defend) without slapping a label on her which may very well not be valid , but can come across as lazy shorthand for what people think a narcissist is.

So whilst we may not always agree - I do agree with you on this. 👏

I would agree, @BasiliskStare . I'm not a psychiatrist and really couldn't diagnose narcissistic behaviour.
However, it's perfectly valid to question and criticise Meghan's behaviour, which some people seem to find unacceptable.

No need to diagnose but its an interesting read from credible source.

"Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Those with narcissistic personality disorder exhibit 5 of the following 9 characteristics:

• Have a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents).
• Be preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
• Believe that they are “special” and can only be understood by other special or high-status people.
• Require excessive admiration.
• Have a sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment).
• Take advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
• Lack empathy: or is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
• Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of them.
• Show arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

Source: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision. 2022 APA Publishing"

https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/what-is-narcissistic-personality-disorder

In the many myriad of things you could call Harry, handsome is not one of them

Thank you @BasiliskStare I appreciate that.

We see it all over Mumsnet on all sorts of threads... posters asserting certain mental health and medical conditions after reading posts. And it just makes me uncomfortable because situations can be convoluted and rarely as it seems on a forum! I do think it is good to share experiences and gain comfort in that and there is nothing wrong in suggesting to someone that perhaps a consultation with the medical profession might be advisory but to diagnose is not on, in my opinion.

Bottom line is... we don't know if Meghan has any sort of condition... apart from what she says herself, we are also fed information through a media lens which can distort!

We are not "fed information through a media lens which can distort". The information we have about Meghan is directly from her. Her behaviour, her pronouncements, her Social Media, her Netflix show, her interviews.
Meghan is not the victim of the media. She uses it to good effect to promote herself and make money.

I have said that apart from what she says herself we are also fed information through the media.
I really think you cannot say that the media don't write articles incessantly about her. 😲 They are obviously read and opinions formed. You take information from what Meghan says herself. Articles will also be read (otherwise they wouldn't be written... clickbait) and opinions formed on those as well. You may well not read any articles written all over the media, but people do.

@Darkmudder she does seem to tick a lot of the boxes

She has a clear modus viviendi; be in the media as much as possible. Issue images, do endless interviews, share intimate details....she wants the media attention. As does Harry.
The media report what they do. Which is just exactly what the Sussexes want.
They are not innocent victims of a cruel media - they are manipulative, greedy and dishonest.

That is of course your opinion. Opinions vary.

@Extiainoiapeial

I come at this from having a close family member where all sorts of MH issues including schizophrenia were bandied around by people who had no medical training let alone psychiatric qualifications. Yes it was a severe MH situation but so much more nuanced, treated by qualified people and the person is fine. You can't pick some traits and say XX is YYY unless you are qualified to say. For the avoidance of doubt this is an example - I am ascribing no MH issues to H&M - just pointing out the dangers of armchair diagnosis

So I'm in your corner on this point but I do think there's enough without "a media lens" to criticise both she and H for but I take it from things they have said themselves. The media lens can be supportive or critical but what they have put out there themselves I think is the first thing. ( I did English at University - make sure your argument is rooted in the text 😂 - it was 40 odd years ago but ingrained ) 💐

Really? Do you really need to tell me that opinions vary?
Ok.

I think she’s talking bollocks. (And I personally think Harry has a rather disturbing resemblance to Raoul Moat, particularly in the photo on the front of Spare. By no stretch of the imagination is he handsome).

I agree

That all makes sense!

You’d have to be on some mind altering drug to even consider Harry to be attractive

The story of Meghan Markle/Sussex is absolutely sensational. If it was a Hollywood blockbuster film people would think it far-fetched. It has all the ingredients: royalty, accusations of terrible deeds, sex, money, power, VIPs, palaces, couture clothes, jewels, scandal and mystery, family quarrels, sibling rivalry, narcissism (I think so), alleged jealousies, racial tension...all played out on a world stage. And....IT'S TRUE! Of course (many) people are going to be interested in every little thing she does and says - you could not make it up.

I say this because some posters on here persist in disingenuously asking why people are interested in Meghan and Harry. Honestly...my eyes roll right back into my head.

I only take notice of what Meghan and Harry actually do, say and write. I don't get involved with fake news or conspiracy theories. But of course Meghan is going to attract clicks - that's what she wants and she spends her life seeking it.

It is not an opinion or a media lens when content commented on is directly from the horses mouth and is published on the their own direct platform - insta, Archwell, podcasts, interviews, TV shows, docuseries, books, speeches etc - acres of direct unfiltered and uncensored content to consider.

I've thought she was a narcissist for years, I thought Diana also ticked a lot of boxes - the huge difference between the two though is that Diana knew exactly how to wrap the media round her little finger and use them to her advantage and Meghan doesn't have the foggiest clue.

People say that narcissism is always being thrown around - but when up to 5% of people may be narcissists it really isn't rare. When you think only 1-2% of people are autistic, it's potentially a huge amount - as many as 1 in 20.

This. Why don't people take the Sussexes literally at their word? No lens required!