Narcissism: A Growing Epidemic

Ashley Burger

  

  The Culture of Narcissism, by Christopher Lasch, takes a closer look into America and the shift to the “me generation” and our current culture of narcissistic values. It was a very interesting article to me because it was able to give me a way to concretely describe the difference between America and Amsterdam. After my trip to Amsterdam in 2010, I realized what a cultural difference there was between the U.S. and Europe. I have been to London and England before but was not able to experience such a difference because of the lack of time I was there. Everything Lasch claims I agree with and felt upon my arrival back home, but could not put into words myself. His arguments helped me solidify my opinions and gave me a vocabulary to express them in.

            There is such a sense of culture in foreign countries that we do not have here in America. America is considered a melting pot, but the fact that we do not feel attached to something is leading to our downfall. Our views have shifted from our community to ourselves, leading us down the dark path of narcissism. Lasch blames this on the spiritual crisis of the 1970s, where we lost the sense of historical time and forgot our generation’s link together and shape our future.

             Americans suffer from so many things that should not even affect us. Instead of relationships, we focus on material goods. America is severely unhappy and has a rising rate of depression, when we are supposed to be the country where you can fulfill your dreams. Other countries look down upon Americans for thinking we are the best in the world and not considering others when really, as Lasch explains, Americans feel emptier than ever. We are “plagued by anxiety, depression, vague discontents, [and] a sense of inner emptiness”. The fact is our stuff does not fill these voids we possess.

        

            In all, Lasch claims that our world is crumbling because of this shift in society. Our education is becoming watered down and the standards have been lowered. We have shifted to a consumer market to fill the voids we have from detaching ourselves from other people and we are filled with anxiety, self-hatred, and emptiness. We are so hungry for happiness and yet too into ourselves to find it. When I read this, I started to diagnose myself with some of the “symptoms” of narcissism, which scared me. There is no doubt we are all a little narcissistic. But, if we are ignorant to it, as I was before reading this, it will lead us into an overdose and eventually lead us to self-destruction. 

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