Guest Blog: Dick Forbes, MA: "I'm Just Too Good to Be True!"

Status Update: “I’m Just too Good to be True!!”

Recent research, from Jean M. Twenge, PhD and W. Keith Campbell, PhD regarding the rise of narcissism in our culture in their book, The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement is concerning. According to the research, there has been a 67 per cent increase in it over the past two decades, mainly among women. An estimated ten per cent of the population suffers from narcissism as a full-blown personality disorder. The symptoms include: a grandiose sense of self-importance; the belief that he or she is special or unique and in some way better – either intellectually or physically – than others; a requirement for excessive admiration; a sense of entitlement, whether to fame, fortune, success and happiness or simply to special treatment; enviousness of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her; an inability to empathize; an inability to admit a mistake; and haughty behavior or attitude.

What researchers have also identified, and are far more worried about, is what has been described as ‘normal’ narcissism – a cultural shift that has seen even non-narcissistic people seduced by the emphasis on material wealth, physical appearance and celebrity worship.

This research believes that our western culture brings out the narcissism in us. They blame the internet (where ‘fame’ is a click away and I can tell everyone how wonderful I am), reality television (if you have watched any reality TV you know that talent is nowhere to be found), easy credit (which allows people to give the impression of success, only for a while until the credit runs out), celebrity worship, our highly consumerist, competitive and individualistic society (where personal happiness and individual freedoms are pursued above everything else. The narcissist is dumb founded when difficult times happen, it shouldn’t happen to them), and a generation of indulgent parents who have raised their children to think they’re special, amazing and perfect.

According to Twenge, this focus on self-admiration has caused a cultural flight from reality to the land of updated status: "I’m so glamorous.”

We have phony rich people (who actually have massive mortgages and piles of debt), phony beauty (via plastic surgery), phony celebrities (via reality TV and YouTube), phony genius students (with grade inflation) and phony friends (with the social networking explosion).

Dick Forbes can be reached at 770.386.0608 or ForbesCounseling.com

Email: dsforbes@bellsouth.net