Quick thoughts on Amos Yee

Evaluating Amos Yee as a person

  1. He is special, perceiving things differently from his peers and the social norms.
  2. He is logical, basing arguments on his observations and facts gathered elsewhere.
  3. He is emotional, adding unnecessarily strong emotional words to his arguments.
  4. Some sources suggest that he is suffering from Narcissistic personality disorder. While this might be the case, I believe the line between having the disorder and having a very special personality is very thin. (updated on 1 Apr)

*I drew some of the observation from the other video of him:

Explaining why the video (on LKY)

  1. By mixing arguments with obviously offensive words, he is able to draw people’s criticism to the latter. In comparison to the insults, his arguments will appear more valid. Therefore, when people are criticizing him, they will be compelled to accept his arguments, at least partially.
  2. He needs to get lots of attention for his future filming career. This could be the fastest, cheapest way to do it. Although extremely risky, the video is the best way to express himself to the largest audience possible. It may attract people who appreciates his talents.

News stories on the Amos Yee incident

  1. Amos Yee, who made insensitive remarks on Christianity in video, arrested – ST  30 March, 2015
  2. YouTuber Amos Yee charged, bail set at S$20,000 – CNA 31 Mar 2015
  3. (Update) Teen blogger Amos Yee granted US asylum 25 Mar 2017

2 comments

  1. He may be gifted in ways as many other individuals are. However, the line bordering narcissism and healthy self-esteem is empathy – an important ability in order to thrive socially among other human beings.

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