A Generation of Narcissists

[nofuture]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7943906.stm

The growing expectation placed on schools and parents to boost pupils' self-esteem is breeding a generation of narcissists, an expert has warned.

[unusual_suspect]

I don't think this is a new phenomena! Most adults I meet have an "it's all about me" attitude and are completely vain and self absorbed, since when is this a new thing?

[kingmonkey]

Perhaps if kids were encouraged to be individuals and have their own minds instead of being media created sheep-droids they might not have low self esteem in the first place. Kids are getting fatter, more selfish and dumber every generation and it's ultimately down to the parents. It's a generation of swine being raised by a generation of swine. With the help of the television.

Any social strategies imported from the states are bound to be a complete waste of time.

[simplysimon]

Just a thought, but I wonder how much the poisoning of our food chain and disconnection from the Earth are contributing to obesity.

People (sleeple) are hypnotised into a stupor by the flashing images of TV, then programmed to go and buy crap that they don't need with money they don't have.

Not sure how we solve this (unless anyone has access to EMP generators :D).

It truly is glorious outside today :)

[whitewolf]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7943906.stm

The growing expectation placed on schools and parents to boost pupils' self-esteem is breeding a generation of narcissists, an expert has warned.

Whoever the 'expert' is has not studied Narcissism as a psychiatric condition, or even the original Greek myth. As usual it's uneducated bullshit designed for the ill educated, crap devouring masses. I'm only writing this as I recently read a book called...yep 'Narcissism' by Alexander Lowen, M.D.'
Quote from the back page of the book,

'Contrary to popular belief, narcissists do not love themselves or anyone else. They cannot accept their true selves, constructing fixed masks that hide emotional numbness. Influenced by forces in culture and predisposed by factors in the human personality narcissists tend to be;

* More concerned with how they appear than what they feel

*Seductive and manipulative, striving for power and control

* Egotists, focused on their own intrests but lacking the true values of the self; self-expression, self-possesion, dignity and integrity

* Without a solid sense of self, which leads them to experience life as empty and meaningless. '

Sounds disturbingly like our modern society. Children who are nurtured within a loving enviroment have natural self-esteem. They are not/cannot be narcissistic, it's a contradiction in terms and the BBC comment is more like doublespeak. Not boosting our childrens self-esteem will produce narcissists.
The BBC stinks... be careful peeps, what you allow into your conscious awareness.
peace

[nofuture]

Seems closely related to psychopathy - no feelings for other people, there's a lot of that around and not just in the padded cells.

[gilly]

Based on what I've seen with my own kids & their friends, and other relatives, I think it's bollocks anyway. The little uns seem to have quite a strong sense of right & wrong, & like to see all their peers at school for example as being treated equally & fairly.

[mikethepunk]

I agree that the younger generation of today, which I call generation D are definitely a lot more narcissistic then previous ones. But what do you expect from a generation that thinks of other people as words on a web page rather than a flesh and blood human being.

The differences between my generation X and generation D is GREAT.

I have never in my life met a bunch of rude, self-centered, egotistical, shit talkers then I did when the kids of gen. D grew up. Besides that they have no respect at all for their elders or the generations before them.

My generation, X, was taught to respect their elders and their peers. We were taught to play outside and go adventuring rather than sit in front of the computer and verbally assault strangers on a message board.

The NWO did exactly what they set out to do with this generation and were very successful at making a whole generation negative, hateful and mean.

This article is spot on.

I am so glad I grew up when I did. Born in 1972 and I am hella proud of that fact.

No offense to the generation D people in this room, nothing is 100 percent. You guys are the 5 percent that have a clue.

[mikethepunk]

Based on what I've seen with my own kids & their friends, and other relatives, I think it's bollocks anyway. The little uns seem to have quite a strong sense of right & wrong, & like to see all their peers at school for example as being treated equally & fairly.

I believe they mean the kids in their early 20's to mid teens, not the little ones. Little ones get messed up by the time they make it to their early teens. Nice and thoughtful now does not mean nice and thoughtful later. they do not teach kids to love themselves and each other in high school. That is the time they need it the most but that is the time the NWO strips the kids of their self esteem and are usually successful.

[nofuture]

Yeah by the time they're 16, 17 they are fooking obnoxious, I know, because I was. I don't think the kids themselves have changed, it's just evolved into a meaner more self-serving society. It's Hell really, survival of the fittest.

[motleyhoo]

I'm really glad I'm not a teenager today. What future do they have? The ones about to graduate high school have no jobs waiting for them. Even if we did not have a high unemployment rate, with the destruction of our industrial base what jobs would they hope to get in which they could hope to work hard and move their way up, McDonald's or WalMart? We're creating a generation of low-level wage slaves and service workers who will be looking at the previous generation as the one that stole their economic futures. And who would want to spend a fortune going to college, they are not facing any decent jobs either.

[kingmonkey]

Exactly. And then people wonder why we have a worsening drug problem in this country.

[unusual_suspect]

I believe they mean the kids in their early 20's to mid teens, not the little ones. Little ones get messed up by the time they make it to their early teens. Nice and thoughtful now does not mean nice and thoughtful later. they do not teach kids to love themselves and each other in high school. That is the time they need it the most but that is the time the NWO strips the kids of their self esteem and are usually successful.

People in their teens and early 20's are usually unpleasant regardless of the generation, then they hit about 25 - 26 and become like normal people again :p

Most youngsters think the world revolves around them, till they have a bit of healthy ego death and realise that the only people whoi give a fuck about them is their parents, and then that's only if they extremely lucky.

Sorry, but any old farts here will know that's the truth ;)

[motleyhoo]

..., then they hit about 25 - 26 and become like normal people again :p


The problem has to do with what society defines as "normal". These 25-26 year olds are being raised to define themselves and their self esteem by how much stuff they have and how much better their stuff is than the next guy's. The fact that they become "normal" may just mean that they gave up the fight and joined the rest of society in their excessive gluttony. And because we're a part of that society, to us it appears as tho they've finally decided to settle down and become "normal".

[unusual_suspect]

The problem has to do with what society defines as "normal". These 25-26 year olds are being raised to define themselves and their self esteem by how much stuff they have and how much better their stuff is than the next guy's. The fact that they become "normal" may just mean that they gave up the fight and joined the rest of society in their excessive gluttony. And because we're a part of that society, to us it appears as tho they've finally decided to settle down and become "normal".

No what I mean is younger people being arrogant, self obsessed and thinking that everything revolves around them.

I am talking about the awakening that most people have after being knocked on their arse a few times, that they are just another person and that regardless of what happens to them, the rest of the world carries on.

Most people in their teens and early 20's that I have met over the last year or so are just as you're describing, gluttons, rampant materialists who base their self woth and identity on things, their car, their clothes etc.

Hopefully when they realise that they are not as important as they think, the ego death will sort them out a bit.

[hellosatellites]

Ah, what's the world coming to when young people are not respecting their elders, staying out and dancing like lunatics - sometimes til midnight! - to that ghastly hippely-hoppely music. Tsk tsk tsk. Spending their savings on sodapop and crazyass sombreros. Tsk tsk tsk. They should get a job. With a pensionplan. And a haircut!

[cruise4]

Break them down. Build them up... in your desired image.

[h1s_l0rdsh1p]

Whoever the 'expert' is has not studied Narcissism as a psychiatric condition, or even the original Greek myth. As usual it's uneducated bullshit designed for the ill educated, crap devouring masses. I'm only writing this as I recently read a book called...yep 'Narcissism' by Alexander Lowen, M.D.'
Quote from the back page of the book,

'Contrary to popular belief, narcissists do not love themselves or anyone else. They cannot accept their true selves, constructing fixed masks that hide emotional numbness. Influenced by forces in culture and predisposed by factors in the human personality narcissists tend to be;

* More concerned with how they appear than what they feel

*Seductive and manipulative, striving for power and control

* Egotists, focused on their own intrests but lacking the true values of the self; self-expression, self-possesion, dignity and integrity

* Without a solid sense of self, which leads them to experience life as empty and meaningless. '

Sounds disturbingly like our modern society. Children who are nurtured within a loving enviroment have natural self-esteem. They are not/cannot be narcissistic, it's a contradiction in terms and the BBC comment is more like doublespeak. Not boosting our childrens self-esteem will produce narcissists.
The BBC stinks... be careful peeps, what you allow into your conscious awareness.
peace

I feel alot of people ignored this post(quoted above), when this is probably the most important post in this thread.

[hellosatellites]

Or maibe we already know, and felt there was nothing much to add really to whitewolfs excellent to the point of immaculate post :)