Posted on 04/11/2006 12:07:23 PM PDT by qam1
A few weeks ago, U.S. champion skier Bode Miller turned in a stunningly poor performance at the Olympics, with two non-medal finishes, a disqualification and two incomplete races.
Unabashed, he told the Associated Press: "I just did it my way. I'm not a martyr, and I'm not a do-gooder. I just want to go out and rock. And man, I rocked here."
Mr. Miller's exuberant self-assessment makes him "a poster child" for "Generation Me," says San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge.
Americans born after 1970 -- including the so-called Generation X and Millennial Generation -- have become "an army of little narcissists," says Mrs. Twenge, who explains her views in her new book, "Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled and More Miserable Than Ever Before."
Unlike their parents and grandparents, "GenMes" have "never known a world that put duty before self," she says. Instead, they were raised in a culture obsessed with self-esteem and feel-good mantras such as "Believe in yourself, and you can be anything" and "Never give up on your dreams."
The result is a generation of youths who are tolerant, confident, open-minded, ambitious -- and have wildly unreasonable expectations about how they fit into the adult world.
"They expect to go to college, to make lots of money, and perhaps even to be famous," Mrs. Twenge says. But when reality hits, and they don't get the coveted college placement or high-paying job, or they discover the high costs of housing and health care, many members of Generation Me crash emotionally, she says.......
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I suggest the author read "The Culture of Narcissism" by Christopher Lasch, published 1979. Pretty much dissects the Boomers. (Yes, I am one.)
Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social (and sometimes nostalgic) aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.
Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details and previous articles.
Welcome to the Real world bump.
Narcisist ---perhaps. Genme? Perhaps
Asshole? ---definitely.
So it's my parent's and society's fault that I didn't end up an astronaut? Cool! Who do I sue?
And all this time I thought it was all the beer and girls I chased in college!
This is true for Canadians of this generation as well. I know, because I belong to this generation. Fortunately for myself, I was born to Eastern European immigrants who taught me a good work ethic. I know many friends who are like this guy, and it has got worse with each subsequent generation.
How did such a loser even qualify for the Olympics in the first place?!
I just blame my ex.
In other words, Bode kept another olympic hopeful from going just so Bode could rock.
Having just completed the rest of the article, I don't think this new self centred generation is any better off, because I know far too many with serious drug and alcohol problems who have or are in the process of destroying themselves.
My kid is GenX, an independent SOB if there ever was one. He knows he is going to get screwed and therefore is very Conservative, family oriented, and hates rats, what more could you ask for in a Son. He also learns from his mistakes and never repeats them.
I have to put two more cents in here.
With the diminishment of the Christian culture of life in our nation, people have had to turn to "feel good" stuff in order to validate their self worth.
According to Judeo-Christian belief, people are worthy because they are made in God's image, by a loving God. There is a simple inherit worth in the nature of our being.
We are loved by the one who created us, and pronounced his creation "good".
If you have crawled up from the fishes, the self concept has to be totally different.
From what I see, today's youth are doing just fine.
Well, I've already proved that theory wrong, and I hope your son does too.
I would think that it would be easier to be narcissistic if you hadn't had too many bumps on the road.
Sheesh. I guess the guy should have just committed suicide for having a bad week.
It's because of the media, and mostly tv...especially the constant ads for ...'doing it your way'...'have it your way'...'no questions'....'you deserve a break today'...'break the rules'...etc
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