December Book Recommendation

Reviewed by Dan Brent

The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement
Jean M. Twenge and Keith Campbell, Free Pre, !""#, $%$ pp., &'(
The di)tionar* a* nar)iim i ego)entri)it* or elf+admiration. The a,thor of the boo- deal
with it both at the peronal level and the o)ial level. The .epidemi)/ part of the title ,gget
that it i li-e a dieae that pread in the pop,lation.
Ameri)a, the a,thor a*, i the epi)enter of the ),rrent rie in nar)iim.
.Pride/ i firt in the traditional lit of )apital in. 0e thin- of it a behavior in whi)h we )hooe
to p,t o,r own ego and deire above the legitimate )laim of other. The in in the 1enei
a))o,nt of )reation ha Adam and Eve p,tting themelve above the Creator.
2ar)iim i not a ingle )hoi)e b,t the p*)hologi)al predipoition to ee *o,relf a better
than other and entitled to the thing *o, want. And, in Ameri)a epe)iall*, .Toda*3 ),lt,re
rain eno,gh nar)iim to get ever*bod* wet./ 4p.'(5
2ar)iim goe b* other name: .arrogan)e, )on)eit, vanit*, grandioit*, and elf+)enteredne./
2ar)iit ee themelve a f,ndamentall* ,perior 6 the* are 4in their mind5 pe)ial, ,ni7,e,
entitled. Their attention to themelve ma-e it ,nli-el* that the* will generate )loe, warm,
loving relationhip.
8eear)h on the phenomenon over the lat few de)ade ha ,ed an intr,ment in whi)h
nar)iit de)ribe themelve a .pe)ial/, .e9traordinar*/, and .deerving/. The reear)h ha
do),mented a remar-able in)reae nationall* in nar)iim in)e the '#:"3. ;t )an get to the
point in individ,al where it earn the deignation a a )lini)all*+named diorder.
;t3 a matter of balan)e, of )o,re. There3 nothing wrong with honet re)ognition of *o,r gift
and talent. .<o, )an li-e *o,relf =,t fine witho,t loving *o,relf to e9)e./ 4p.!#5
The problem i that elf+promotion i an eential ingredient for getting ahead in an e)onom*
that3 hort on =ob. And the reward for the winner are ,btantial. ;n '#>!, CE?3 made %!
time what their average emplo*ee did. 2ow 6 the boo- ha a !""# )op*right 6 CE?3 get paid
$(% time a m,)h a their average emplo*ee. @o it eem fair to infer that elf+promotion pa*
big time. The tri)- to avoid going over the edge, apparentl*, i not to believe that *o, have it
)oming to *o, be)a,e *o,3re better than ever*one eleA
?ver the lat three de)ade, a n,mber of thing have n,dged Ameri)an in the dire)tion of ever
greater elf+eteem and elf+e9preion. A new bab*3 )olle)tion of bib and hirt will pro)laim
.Prin)e/, .;3m the Bo/, .Chi)- Magnet/, .@,permodel/. B* itelf, that3 no big deal. B,t it
be)ome the beginning of a tead* move toward the pre)ipi)e of nar)iim. Parent follow that
,p with .heli)opter parenting/ 6 )hild+promotion hovering a the )hild move on to )hool and
port. Ce)iion on)e made b* parent are t,rned over to the )hildren. .0hat wo,ld *o, li-e to
doD/ .0hi)h )ar wo,ld *o, li-e , to b,*D/
The )hool pi)- ,p the moment,m with ;+am+pe)ial ),rri),l,m program. Celebritie 6
themelve t*pi)all* high )orer on the nar)iim tet 6 be)ome the role model. Ebi7,ito,
realit* TF feat,re intenel* aggreive and aertive heroe. And now the ;nternet i providing
the vehi)le for people 4epe)iall* te)hnolog*+literate *o,ng people5 to advertie themelve.
M*@pa)e. Fa)eboo-. <o,T,be. Blogging. .The ;nternet allow the fanta* prin)iple to tr,mp the
realit* prin)iple. The ;nternet ma-e it ver* ea* to be omeone *o,3re not./ 4p.'!!5
The ban- now have e9ploited the trend toward nar)iim. ;f *o, reall* )an3t afford to live li-e
people who are ri)her than an*bod* ele, we have a ol,tion 6 C8EC;TA Credit )ard.
Mortgage. Gome e7,it* loan. <o, )an b,* the big ho,e, the e9penive @EF, the deigner
)lothe, the mile+wide flat+)reen TF 6 nowA And pa* , later. The a,thor do),ment the
e)alation of )on,mer debt over the pat fort* *ear. @)ar*A And thi trend i en)o,raged b*
government. ;nteret pa*ment are ded,)tableH interet in)ome i ta9ed.
.@anta Cla, i far better than 1od in all repe)t. The differen)e i that @anta Cla, in3t real./
4p.'!>5
Fanit* i an e9preion of thi nar)iim. Bea,t* prod,)t, t,mm* t,)-, breat a,gmentation 6
all are thriving b,inee. And individ,alim. Ever*one want to be ,ni7,e 6 =,t li-e ever*one
ele. 1o fig,re. Babie3 name m,t be different or at leat pelled differentl* 4li-e M*)hal5.
@tarb,)- ha '#,""" poible )offee order.
2ar)iim, not ,rpriingl*, i a ri- fa)tor for aggreive and violent behavior. Fo), on elf
diminihe enitivit* to other people3 pain. And .nar)iim i abol,tel* )orroive to o)ial
relationhip./ 4p.!!"5 Joel ?teen a* *o, )an3t how )ompaion if *o, don3t love *o,relf.
.Thi o,nd good, b,t there i little eviden)e that it3 tr,e./ 4p.!!!5 2ar)iim how itelf in
an attit,de of entitlement. And .wanting more, b,t not parti),larl* wanting to wor- for it, i the
ver* definition of entitlement./ 4p.!$(5
The* don3t init on a )a,e+effe)t )onne)tion b,t the a,thor note that attendan)e i down at
)h,r)he that demand ervi)e and h,milit* and admiion of inf,lne. And ,p at mega)h,r)he
that feat,re entertainment and a feel+good meage.
?,tide of Ameri)a there have been ),lt,re that tend to re=e)t nar)iim. Enhappil*, thoe
wall eem to be )oming down, largel* be)a,e of e9po,re to Ameri)an movie and TF and
Ameri)an invention li-e Fa)eboo-. Even the pread of demo)ra)* bring with it the meage
that we are ea)h pe)ial . . . and 4woop5 entitledA
The toni) againt nar)iim i, of )o,re, honet* in how we eval,ate o,relve and in val,ing
the live of other. Compaion help. @o do living within o,r mean, being open to )riti)im,
and ),ltivating gratit,de. @o doe learning to val,e differen)e. .Ever* atro)it* in the hitor* of
the world ha been baed on differen)e among people./ 4p.!#:5
Love, the a,thor note, emphaiIe )onne)tion, b,t .pe)ialne/ emphaiIe differen)e. @o
tea)h *o,r )hildren abo,t empath* and )ompaion. And be )aref,l abo,t the .pe)ial/ and
.,ni7,e/ meageA