Narcissism An Epidemic

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[Daniel]

Study: College students more narcissistic
 

Today's college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than their predecessors, according to a comprehensive new study by five psychologists who worry that the trend could be harmful to personal relationships and American society.

"We need to stop endlessly repeating 'You're special' and having children repeat that back," said the study's lead author, Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University. "Kids are self-centered enough already."

Twenge and her colleagues, in findings to be presented at a workshop Tuesday in San Diego on the generation gap, examined the responses of 16,475 college students nationwide who completed an evaluation called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory between 1982 and 2006.

The standardized inventory, known as the NPI, asks for responses to such statements as "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place," "I think I am a special person" and "I can live my life any way I want to."

The researchers describe their study as the largest ever of its type and say students' NPI scores have risen steadily since the current test was introduced in 1982. By 2006, they said, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores, 30 percent more than in 1982.

Narcissism can have benefits, said study co-author W. Keith Campbell of the University of Georgia, suggesting it could be useful in meeting new people "or auditioning on 'American Idol.'"

"Unfortunately, narcissism can also have very negative consequences for society, including the breakdown of close relationships with others," he said.

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."

Twenge, the author of "Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled ? and More Miserable Than Ever Before," said narcissists tend to lack empathy, react aggressively to criticism and favor self-promotion over helping others.

The researchers traced the phenomenon back to what they called the "self-esteem movement" that emerged in the 1980s, asserting that the effort to build self-confidence had gone too far.

As an example, Twenge cited a song commonly sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques" in preschool: "I am special, I am special. Look at me."

"Current technology fuels the increase in narcissism," Twenge said. "By its very name, MySpace encourages attention-seeking, as does YouTube."

Some analysts have commended today's young people for increased commitment to volunteer work. But Twenge viewed even this phenomenon skeptically, noting that many high schools require community service and many youths feel pressure to list such endeavors on college applications.

Campbell said the narcissism upsurge seemed so pronounced that he was unsure if there were obvious remedies.

"Permissiveness seems to be a component," he said. "A potential antidote would be more authoritative parenting. Less indulgence might be called for."

The new report follows a study released by UCLA last month which found that nearly three-quarters of the freshmen it surveyed thought it was important to be "very well-off financially." That compared with 62.5 percent who said the same in 1980 and 42 percent in 1966.

Yet students, while acknowledging some legitimacy to such findings, don't necessarily accept negative generalizations about their generation.

Hanady Kader, a University of Washington senior, said she worked unpaid last summer helping resettle refugees and considers many of her peers to be civic-minded. But she is dismayed by the competitiveness of some students who seem prematurely focused on career status.

"We're encouraged a lot to be individuals and go out there and do what you want, and nobody should stand in your way," Kader said. "I can see goals and ambitions getting in the way of other things like relationships."

Kari Dalane, a University of Vermont sophomore, says most of her contemporaries are politically active and not overly self-centered.

"People are worried about themselves ? but in the sense of where are they're going to find a place in the world," she said. "People want to look their best, have a good time, but it doesn't mean they're not concerned about the rest of the world."

Besides, some of the responses on the narcissism test might not be worrisome, Dalane said. "It would be more depressing if people answered, 'No, I'm not special.'"

[marshall]

and the BBG is only exacerbating the problem with the focus on personal transformation. Where are the good works? Where is the charity?

If I were smarter, more talented, special, I might try to do something about the situation. As it is, I'm just an unevolved greenie....

Isn't it true that the things that upset us about others are the very things that we dislike about ourselves? It seems to me that KW may be post-green in the cognitive line, but has severe pathology inhibiting the full integration of green in other lines.

The cure for self-absorption is service, is it not?

I do think it is time for an experiment. 

[Jana]

But remember Ken has already done his far share of dishwashing, and is now "serving " a larger picture...actually in the building of the empire Ken is probably way more generous than most.

The problem of narcissism is overcome through differentiation, soul-muse contact and subsequent creativity, original thought, innovation, and post-tribal dharma...ie: going up the scale of evolution no down into mediocrity and safety in codependency...
From BOK:
I have correlated the stages of consciousness from page 633 of Integral Psychology, by Ken Wilber with the various types of giving or service:


1. Presocial autistic (Reactive, fusion)----Dependent


2. Symbiotic (Na?ve)----Submissive


3. Impulsive (Manipulative)----Servile


4. Self Protective (inferiority)----Addictive codependent


5. Conformist (industry)----Conciliatory


6. Conscientious-conformist (role confusion)----Bargaining unconsciously


7. Conscientious (identity)----Trading consciously


8. Individualistic (consistency)----Non-competitive truce


9. Autonomous (differentiated from ego)----Intellectual concourse


10. Integrated (authentic)----Creative synthesis


11.Transcendent (active genius)--Merger of souls


12. Unitary (Saint, Sage)----Pouring forth of Divine Grace


13. Nondual (Noetic-Self, Avatar)--One Being, no separation,


How do we know if our giving is codependent or of a lower-order of service? If we expect or need the recipient to actually "change" in response to our offering, then we are co-dependent on them. The fundamental principle involved in all relational transaction is that each individual is the sole determiner of their own will. Our giving must therefore be void of "control and manipulation," even toward what we "think" is best for someone else. Respect for the Divine Spark, the individual monad or perfect seed in each person or lifeform is the only way to assist them to find greater wholeness or healing

[Daniel]

Marshall and Jana,

  Service. The cure for narcissism. I was with an spiritual organization for awhile that always emphasized selflessness and self sacrifice. But how far can that one go and upon what healthy foundation must that rest? There was book out in the 80's called Looking Out For #1 (which is you of course) and I think it had a very good point in its title. How can you truly give to others when you yourself are so wasted and screwed up on selflessness which hides a very sick ego (sick in the sense of unhealthy, imbalanced, incomplete in development...not dangerous).

"narcissists tend to lack empathy, react aggressively to criticism and favor self-promotion over helping others."

Sounds like my stock broker. This American consumerist society alienates people into economic units of profit who's primary purpose is keep the capital gains of corporations and businesses well lubricated. And so we all in a sense forced into a type of narcissism that we must somehow face and manage. Who pays my bills and who pays yours? We all must support ourselves in this rugged individualist society that stems all the way back to the pioneers. But we now have lost what the pioneers had...free game to shot and eat, clean water to fish in, plenty of free lumber to build a house on unclaimed land. For us, it goes on the Mastercard..charge it!

With the decay of the Middleclass, more and more people are forced into a downward spiral of survival on Maslows needs list. I am afraid that in our bubble of me first and lets get that latest sale at Target we so easily lose our perspective. Staying focused on a Worldcentric peak may help stem pathological egoic self absorption.

Dan


 

[Jana]

Yay Dan yes, the old fabric of human civilization is breaking down especially with the help of the Cheney group, so we must learn new adaptation skills. Thom Hartmann video on google is I think a healthy-sane person to get an overview picture from that is not terribly fear inducing.  We have to get real with where we stand on the fear spectrum (even if we cannot feel fear because of the bliss) and figure out if our decisions are made out of fear or if they are made in a more integral way of wanting to contribute to the real and immediate needs of society Now. Thus we can think outside the box to create businesses and lifestyles that draw on all our gifts and talents and build evolutionary structures into our lives and our bank balances. It can be done?the urge for life is stronger and smarter than the thanatos machinations of hegemonic power run amuck.

LOVE = L?let, O?others, V?vision, E-express

Today I suggested this business idea to a young guy?
Spiritual Playmates is a progressive business that comprises of a leadership/counselor/teacher/companion service to show people how to have a spiritual good time in the Now within the Boulder urban context. This team of social workers is specially trained to help us to remember how to "play." It might run out of a Max-chill lounge nightclub with the Spiritual Facilitation Company Headquarters out the back or above. Each city would have a group of trained professional spiritual playmates networking the whole country/world with Spiritual Playmates and clients. Connected to this since the database will already be constructed there might be a match finding service for the clients that use the Spiritual Playmate Company. The mission is to stimulate socio-emotional evolution through the "cultivation of evolutionary intention"...bringing, Flow, No-mind, Peak Experience and 100% Presence to "Just Play" in the Now of experience. Not only will the Spiritual Playmates and clients lives be immediately changed through experiential education, but such activity will rapidly change the energy level of social habits of the vast % of any population exposed to such a Force of Just Play.

Human primates grow through play

[Jana]

Many if not all religions and cults are still at the mythic-tribal level which keeps people back in their dysfunctional family mode...it is a sad betrayal of our need for connection which exhausts and degrades both the usurper (power) and usurped (helpless)...because the higher spiritual circuits of genius, sovereignty, cosmic cocreativity, revelation and original thought are not accessed or developed...thus our sheep-like spirituality is still holding humanity back...and the earth can no longer support a bunch of fear filled lemmings?therefore we must come up with higher-energy alternatives in language and social organization. Our survival as noble humans depends on us learning how not to be sheep. The problem of fear/narcissism is overcome through differentiation, soul-muse contact and subsequent creativity, original thought, innovation, and post-tribal dharma...ie: going up the scale of evolution not down into mediocrity and the unconscious false-safety of codependency.

Go look at the Jeff Knight (Ramtha exhusband) interview on google...and some other videos of Ramtha you will see a little cotton farming girl who has caught thousands up in her mad dream...problem is she does say a few good things.

[marshall]

"actually in the building of the empire Ken is probably way more generous than most."- Jana - I'm always dubious about the "how" KW gives service. His service seems very narcissistic to me. He works hard to insure his legacy. I like to compare his path with Thom Hartmann's. I always find Hartmann to be more healthy, more "true", more selfless.

I'd like to explore the issue of changing people. The conventional wisdom on the matter, as it seems to me, is that it is wrong to try to change people. I dont buy it. It seems like more of a moral imperative to help others to overcome their pathologies and to nurture their virtues. Is it wrong to try to get an alcoholic to stop drinking, or a physical abuser to stop beating his wife?

Dependant - codependent - independent - interdependent  No?

So, we need service to worldcentrism, dont we? How does one do that? I think Hartmann holds a healthy and informed view. Anybody remember KW saying that it isn't the system (institutions) of democracy that is the cause of the fact that no democracies have ever engaged in war with one another?  I sure do, it really pissed me off.  He also neglected the fact that no democracy has ever suffered famine. I also remember KW promoting the notion of a "stratified democracy"  with, who was it?...Don Beck? He pulled-out the 'ol "mob mentality bit. It's the same debate that raged between Jefferson/Madison and Adams/Hamilton. Hmmm, did I mix-up the teams?...Anyhow, it should be clearer than ever which view is more TRUE (healthy - harmonious with the prime directive).

One last item. Jana wrote that, "the higher spiritual circuits of ....are not accessed or developed.." Really? 

[Jana]

Yea in my contact with modern spirituality it seems entirely ego self-survival driven, there is still a conservative bent going on with the need for certification, you could say bonerfication, in that because people have abdicated their right to think for themselves they need to see some authority-certified validation. The main problem with humanity at present is the inability for original thought in daily life...and this is so perhaps because of all the professional fear mongering around. KW plays into this bonerfication of conservatism...it literally spiritually braindamages people into conformity.
I love Thom Hartmann, was watch google videos of him last night.

[marianthi]

How do we know if our giving is codependent or of a lower-order of service? If we expect or need the recipient to actually "change" in response to our offering, then we are co-dependent on them. The fundamental principle involved in all relational transaction is that each individual is the sole determiner of their own will. Our giving must therefore be void of "control and manipulation," even toward what we "think" is best for someone else. Respect for the Divine Spark, the individual monad or perfect seed in each person or lifeform is the only way to assist them to find greater wholeness or healing

Hmmm.

I want to raise here a flag to the beneficial presence of control and manipulation:  by one of the members for a relationship for the good of the other, cases where one of the parties imposes his/her will to affect a tendency or trait present in the other.  Parents sometimes do this to steer their children away form harmful traits or mentors to their students to break an ingrained bad habit - and on. 

Condoning harmful behaviour doesn?t help anyone.  Sometimes we DO know a wrong action/trait when we see it and should intervene.

 
Marianthi.

[jimtzu]

this is where the aspects of the two sided coin in the alms bowl of service/giving come into play.  on one side, non-attached giving and leadership is healthier for the ego of both the master/student, doner/donee, but sometimes the other is not at a place where the giving will help, or is unwilling (you can lead a horse to water.....).   the other side is not going along with idiot compassion, which does no good for anyone, being willing to guide even if it painfull, pointing at the moon is not enough.


done in a mindful manner, it doesn't hurt to try.

[Jana]

Yea say if someone wants to push maturity away and remain childlike, then if you make efforts to give them skills, resources, information that will help them to mature, then they are likely to reject them...independence being too scary to contemplate. I find that if you give people something for their inner child, body, soul, mind and ego all at the same time then scary emancipating gifts can be more easily assimilated. It is a waste of time giving people things they are not ready for, however you can seed-gift, or seed-service in a certain direction, thus feeding them in increments.