So....
Ok, now this has been sitting on my head for a couple days now. In this week's case of, "What the fuck?," we have a rather popular news article being released over several networks, "College students think they're so special, Study finds alarming rise in narcissism, self-centeredness in ‘Generation Me’"
Ok, there are several things that bother me. Most of all, is that it sounds like everyones surprised at these results. That my generation is more narcissistic than ever? Are you serious? No shit.
Let's take Gettysburg, where over 90% of the students are from middle to upper class New England backgrounds. An over-generalization I admit, but I'm too lazy and scared to look up the actual value. Where Amanda and I overheard sorority girls stating that their life sucks because the coffee cart closed early. If you're a student of Gettysburg, can you really admit that we as a student body aren't narcissistic?
We even have to sign to an Honor pledge stating that we aren't allowing anyone to cheat off of us. We have to sign away any possibility of action under the influence of mercy, remorse, or just pity. "I'm sorry Dave, I don't care that you're a histroy major in my intro biology class, and taking it just to knock out a core-requirement - I actually did the studying for my major, so why should YOU recieve ANY credit, even though it OBVIOUSLY doesn't make a difference in the long run? Besides, I'm competing with you for a higher class ranking. So sorry Dave, but go fuck yourself."
In a society that confers the overwhelming strong idea where the ends justify the means, are you really surprised that we've turned out this way? Just look at the results of the ill-gotten actions of politicians, movie-stars, and other "role models," Are they really punished for their actions? I'm still wondering why no one has been tried for the Plame leak for Treason...or why its acceptable for the president of the United States to declare war without the approval of Congress.
Plain and simple: we're a generation that believes we're entitled to either our way, or the pursuit of it. One of my favorite inserts:
"The study asserts that narcissists 'are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors.' "
Now I can understand this statement, and believe it to be true. But what bothers me is obscure acknowledgement of responsibility for the underlying cause throughout the article. Sure 'treatment' is suggested: "be more authoritative parenting. Less indulgence might be called for." But what about accepting the fact that we've been engineered this way, cultivated into a sea of conformity in a vain attempt to set ourselves distinctively among the rest? Perhaps that maybe we're tempered to not feel empathy for the victims of Darfur, or those in the Iraq war? I'll be honest, I do think my generation is set-up for an incredible shitty state of affairs, and we are as a whole, a bunch of pretentious, arrogant assholes and / or pompous trouts bent on instant gratification and the promise of a better lifestyle than that of our parents. I won't deny the fact that not all children are special.
"Not all children are smart and clever, got that? Kids are like any other group of people: a few winners...a whole lot of losers." - George Carlin.
And I think George Carlin knows a thing or two about kids. Remember, this is Mr. Conductor talking.
But maybe that people will see that, "...according to a comprehensive new study by five psychologists, ... the trend could be harmful to personal relationships and American society." Wonderful - now maybe politicians could finally see that perhaps this is more harmful to the structure of American society than gays and lesbian marriage. Someone send a memo to Santorum, I think this was they were looking for regarding the "threat to the American Family."1
What about the thought that there is something *wrong* with all of us?
---
1. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-04-22-santorum-gays_x.htm