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3.35 AVERAGE
The Apocalypse Has Arrived
We’re already cooked. Really. Forget about the omicron virus, global warming, the big tech threat to freedom, AI inflexion points, Russians in the Ukraine, and Republican insanity. All these have a common core which so dominates our world that it is impossible to inhibit much less reverse its effects: pathological narcissism. Because “Narcissism is a psychocultural affliction,” it is really untreatable by any known therapy, remedy, or social campaign.
According to Jean Twenge and Keith Campbell, we are now enthralled by a global culture of narcissism. As with any culture the culture of narcissism has an overdetermined history. It is the product of a vague coincidence of factors including war, economic fluctuations, influential sociological and psychological theories, technological advance, and… well plain serendipity.
The symptoms of this narcissistic culture are everywhere in plain sight. Near universal degeneration of national and local communities, the aspirations of youth and the disappointments of the elderly, the sexualisation of infancy and the disillusion of adolescents, disparaging attitudes towards racial difference, relative disadvantage, poverty, and disability, personal economic irresponsibility and institutional promotion of this irresponsibility.
Celebrity, ostentation, self-absorption and other manifestations of adolescence are now extended through whole populations. The authors conclude that “Narcissism has spread through the generations like a particularly pernicious virus—one with multiple means of entry and transmission.” Narcissism appears as if it’s a necessary condition to get on in the world: “Despite the iffy performance record of narcissists in leadership roles, narcissists are more likely than others to emerge as leaders in an organization.”
The analytic and anecdotal data supports these conclusions:
So if you’ve felt like a frog in a slowly heating pan of water, you’re not hallucinating. Things are changing, and pretty quickly. But not just in the superficial ways revealed in the popular media (or for that matter in the fringe like QAnon who can’t see the implicit conspiracy of which they are a part). Narcissism is proliferating and evolving faster than the COVID virus: “Not only are there more narcissists than ever, but non-narcissistic people are seduced by the increasing emphasis on material wealth, physical appearance, celebrity worship, and attention seeking.”
According to fairly reliable surveys in the first decade of the 21st century (The Narcissism Epidemic was published in 2009), 1 in 4 college students showed markedly narcissistic traits; and almost half of those appeared to be suffering from clinical Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). And this is the tip of a sociological iceberg because “lurking underneath is the narcissistic culture that has drawn in many more. The narcissism epidemic has spread to the culture as a whole, affecting both narcissistic and less self-centered people.”
The authors pinpoint the ‘patient zero’ of this now worldwide malaise in the United States as the clearly dominant cultural influencer of the late 20th century. Partly this is due to the subtle shift in values: “in America today there are few values more fiercely held than the importance of self-admiration.” Americans, they say, “love to love themselves.” But in a typically narcissistic manner, this national self-admiration seems to increase in direct proportion to the country’s obvious decline in its confidence in its own institutions of government, law, and religion. The authors quip that “Narcissism is the fast food of the soul.” It is easy to get and immediately enjoyable. But it is also destructive of health. Americans, it seems, have become obese in more than physical terms.
Of note in this regard is that, although five years before his political bid, Donald Trump is put forward as a sort of poster boy for the new American self image and aspirational ikon:
I think it is unlikely that even the authors would have predicted such a massive cultural shift that would permit the man to be nominated and elected to the presidency only five years later. It is difficult to imagine a better confirmation of their thesis than these events. They got it exactly right: “Americans are obsessed with people who are obsessed with themselves.” Trump is the perfect combination of vacuous celebrity, inflated ego, and ruthless determination to dominate that are the hallmarks of the pathological narcissist. He is indeed “the number one for thinking he is the number one,” and has brought a lot section of the population to the same conclusion.
It is clearly impossible to accurately predict the evolutionary path of a culture. We know more about black holes and the behaviour of quantum particles than we do about our effects on each other. But it is certain that the “quest for the self” which has characterised so much of recent cultural history cannot end well. Even the political, economic, and social crisis it is causing now simply provides more material, more ‘supply’ or ‘fuel’ for narcissism to feed off.
One way to encapsulate the effects of what is essentially a global revolution is to recognise the profound change in ethics this revolution has produced. Every one of the world’s major religions and secular thinkers about morality agree on the supreme importance of the Golden Rule. Doing unto others at least to the degree you would have them do unto you is the root of civilisation. Narcissists dedicate themselves to breaking this rule, and do so by exploiting those who abide by it. So their attack on civilisation is profound and apparently successful.
This very well could be the way the world ends, not with a bomb but with a narcissistic whine.
We’re already cooked. Really. Forget about the omicron virus, global warming, the big tech threat to freedom, AI inflexion points, Russians in the Ukraine, and Republican insanity. All these have a common core which so dominates our world that it is impossible to inhibit much less reverse its effects: pathological narcissism. Because “Narcissism is a psychocultural affliction,” it is really untreatable by any known therapy, remedy, or social campaign.
According to Jean Twenge and Keith Campbell, we are now enthralled by a global culture of narcissism. As with any culture the culture of narcissism has an overdetermined history. It is the product of a vague coincidence of factors including war, economic fluctuations, influential sociological and psychological theories, technological advance, and… well plain serendipity.
The symptoms of this narcissistic culture are everywhere in plain sight. Near universal degeneration of national and local communities, the aspirations of youth and the disappointments of the elderly, the sexualisation of infancy and the disillusion of adolescents, disparaging attitudes towards racial difference, relative disadvantage, poverty, and disability, personal economic irresponsibility and institutional promotion of this irresponsibility.
Celebrity, ostentation, self-absorption and other manifestations of adolescence are now extended through whole populations. The authors conclude that “Narcissism has spread through the generations like a particularly pernicious virus—one with multiple means of entry and transmission.” Narcissism appears as if it’s a necessary condition to get on in the world: “Despite the iffy performance record of narcissists in leadership roles, narcissists are more likely than others to emerge as leaders in an organization.”
The analytic and anecdotal data supports these conclusions:
“Many cultural changes were eminently quantifiable: the fivefold increase in plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures in just ten years, the growth of celebrity gossip magazines, Americans spending more than they earn and racking up huge amounts of debt, the growing size of houses, the increasing popularity of giving children unique names, polling data on the importance of being rich and famous, and the growing number of people who cheat… the number of teens getting breast augmentations jumped 55% in just one year from 2006 to 2007, and some parents do indeed pay for them as graduation gifts”
So if you’ve felt like a frog in a slowly heating pan of water, you’re not hallucinating. Things are changing, and pretty quickly. But not just in the superficial ways revealed in the popular media (or for that matter in the fringe like QAnon who can’t see the implicit conspiracy of which they are a part). Narcissism is proliferating and evolving faster than the COVID virus: “Not only are there more narcissists than ever, but non-narcissistic people are seduced by the increasing emphasis on material wealth, physical appearance, celebrity worship, and attention seeking.”
According to fairly reliable surveys in the first decade of the 21st century (The Narcissism Epidemic was published in 2009), 1 in 4 college students showed markedly narcissistic traits; and almost half of those appeared to be suffering from clinical Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). And this is the tip of a sociological iceberg because “lurking underneath is the narcissistic culture that has drawn in many more. The narcissism epidemic has spread to the culture as a whole, affecting both narcissistic and less self-centered people.”
The authors pinpoint the ‘patient zero’ of this now worldwide malaise in the United States as the clearly dominant cultural influencer of the late 20th century. Partly this is due to the subtle shift in values: “in America today there are few values more fiercely held than the importance of self-admiration.” Americans, they say, “love to love themselves.” But in a typically narcissistic manner, this national self-admiration seems to increase in direct proportion to the country’s obvious decline in its confidence in its own institutions of government, law, and religion. The authors quip that “Narcissism is the fast food of the soul.” It is easy to get and immediately enjoyable. But it is also destructive of health. Americans, it seems, have become obese in more than physical terms.
Of note in this regard is that, although five years before his political bid, Donald Trump is put forward as a sort of poster boy for the new American self image and aspirational ikon:
Donald Trump, who puts his name on everything he builds, has his own TV show, named a university after himself (yes, there is a Trump University), and picks fights with talk show hosts, is a great example of someone who is both successful and appears to be narcissistic. We know about Donald Trump’s success because he is relentlessly self-promoting. It is hard to miss The Donald in the media, and he is rich—but there are other real estate tycoons you’ve never heard of because they are not self-promoters and don’t want to be in the limelight.”
I think it is unlikely that even the authors would have predicted such a massive cultural shift that would permit the man to be nominated and elected to the presidency only five years later. It is difficult to imagine a better confirmation of their thesis than these events. They got it exactly right: “Americans are obsessed with people who are obsessed with themselves.” Trump is the perfect combination of vacuous celebrity, inflated ego, and ruthless determination to dominate that are the hallmarks of the pathological narcissist. He is indeed “the number one for thinking he is the number one,” and has brought a lot section of the population to the same conclusion.
It is clearly impossible to accurately predict the evolutionary path of a culture. We know more about black holes and the behaviour of quantum particles than we do about our effects on each other. But it is certain that the “quest for the self” which has characterised so much of recent cultural history cannot end well. Even the political, economic, and social crisis it is causing now simply provides more material, more ‘supply’ or ‘fuel’ for narcissism to feed off.
One way to encapsulate the effects of what is essentially a global revolution is to recognise the profound change in ethics this revolution has produced. Every one of the world’s major religions and secular thinkers about morality agree on the supreme importance of the Golden Rule. Doing unto others at least to the degree you would have them do unto you is the root of civilisation. Narcissists dedicate themselves to breaking this rule, and do so by exploiting those who abide by it. So their attack on civilisation is profound and apparently successful.
This very well could be the way the world ends, not with a bomb but with a narcissistic whine.
Overall, the book draws contrasts between many of the community or "collective" thoughts, actions, and motivations of earlier generations and the individualistic, self-centered and "narcissistic" actions of millennials. As an older millennial myself, I both connect with the community motivations as well as the desire to express myself individually. The book uses many extreme cases to illustrate their points, and I desperately want to find a balance. There are certainly aspects of narcissism found in my own life and the lives of those around me, but there are also some really great things.
Also, the authors use many anecdotal explanations for their beliefs, and occasional statistics. I want more statistics and sources.
Also, the authors use many anecdotal explanations for their beliefs, and occasional statistics. I want more statistics and sources.
This is pop psychology at it's worst. The subject matter was interesting and the fact that it was written by two psychologists seemed promising but reading through it was painful. The authors had the same repetoir of about 15 examples that they used over and over and over again. They also used anecdotes and lame attempts at humour instead of studies as examples. Not all the time, but enough times to be annoying. Throughout the book, religion is hinted at (then explicitly stated) as the cure for all narcissistic ills. This seems to make very little sense especially when the examples are brought up that seem to point to religion's ability to feed into narcissistic behaviour.
In the end, I felt like I learned no more about the subject than when I started. In fact, the same level of substance can be derived from listening to Lily Allen's "The Fear" but with much more enjoyment.
In the end, I felt like I learned no more about the subject than when I started. In fact, the same level of substance can be derived from listening to Lily Allen's "The Fear" but with much more enjoyment.
informative
slow-paced
Eye-opening. Definitely not a read for people who don't want their reality shattered if they think society is more brilliant than it actually is.
Also interesting to read this book written from a 2010's view of society in 2022. Many of the concepts and trends still largely hold true and are relatable.
Also interesting to read this book written from a 2010's view of society in 2022. Many of the concepts and trends still largely hold true and are relatable.
This book is not about narcissistic personality disorder. It is about neurotypical "narcissistic" behaviours.
I waited a week before writing a review because I finished the book with mixed feelings. The authors do make valid points about individualism and self-promotion. I similarly despise the idea that we should all be cultivating a "personal brand" instead of a personality.
HOWEVER - this book is so unfair to social groups that our society sh*ts on, and fails to acknowledge that some of the outlined "narcissistic" behaviours are actually coping/survival mechanisms of marginalized groups.
For example: The authors of this book tear into the actions of teenage girls. This book was released in 2009, when I was 17-18. Perhaps these authors are too old (and in the case of one author, too male) to have been a teen girl during the emerging social media era. I can assure everyone that my 14-year old friends who posted semi-nude photos on MySpace did not do so because they were "narcissists," but because we were raised to believe that our value lay in our ability to be "hot." Similarly, black female artists who sang about their hotness and expensive purchases were not self-absorbed, but countering negative ideas fed to them their entire lives (e.g. that black women were undesirable, unsuccessful, and poor). Reclamation is hardly narcissism!
Also, the constant mentions of My Super Sweet 16 left a bad taste in my mouth. Girls from My Super Sweet 16 later expressed being traumatized from appearing on the show, supposedly manipulated by adult staffers into spewing embarrassing lines. I recall reading an interview with one of the My Super Sweet 16 girls (Audrey? Aubrey?), who might be one of the girls referenced in the book (the girl who didn't get the car she wanted). Allegedly, the scenes were scripted and edits were manipulated, and she had to switch schools because of the bullying that ensued after the show aired. This girl was 15-16 years old.
To sum - this book uses the term "narcissism" to describe practically everything undesirable about young people in 2009.
I would be interested, though, to hear the authors' thoughts on today's "Influencers"!
I waited a week before writing a review because I finished the book with mixed feelings. The authors do make valid points about individualism and self-promotion. I similarly despise the idea that we should all be cultivating a "personal brand" instead of a personality.
HOWEVER - this book is so unfair to social groups that our society sh*ts on, and fails to acknowledge that some of the outlined "narcissistic" behaviours are actually coping/survival mechanisms of marginalized groups.
For example: The authors of this book tear into the actions of teenage girls. This book was released in 2009, when I was 17-18. Perhaps these authors are too old (and in the case of one author, too male) to have been a teen girl during the emerging social media era. I can assure everyone that my 14-year old friends who posted semi-nude photos on MySpace did not do so because they were "narcissists," but because we were raised to believe that our value lay in our ability to be "hot." Similarly, black female artists who sang about their hotness and expensive purchases were not self-absorbed, but countering negative ideas fed to them their entire lives (e.g. that black women were undesirable, unsuccessful, and poor). Reclamation is hardly narcissism!
Also, the constant mentions of My Super Sweet 16 left a bad taste in my mouth. Girls from My Super Sweet 16 later expressed being traumatized from appearing on the show, supposedly manipulated by adult staffers into spewing embarrassing lines. I recall reading an interview with one of the My Super Sweet 16 girls (Audrey? Aubrey?), who might be one of the girls referenced in the book (the girl who didn't get the car she wanted). Allegedly, the scenes were scripted and edits were manipulated, and she had to switch schools because of the bullying that ensued after the show aired. This girl was 15-16 years old.
To sum - this book uses the term "narcissism" to describe practically everything undesirable about young people in 2009.
I would be interested, though, to hear the authors' thoughts on today's "Influencers"!
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Very interesting read. The research is about 10 years old at this point, before Facebook has fed into this epidemic. I enjoy reading about research and Dr. Twenge's view point on how we can make sure our kids don't end up being narcissistic jerks.
challenging
informative
medium-paced