The Rise of Narcissism

I find it amazing that we still as a society push towards creating the self-promoting models year after year and never really reflect on whether or not we are doing the right thing for our children! The push for "self" has become a game that perpetuates itself and soon it will consume our society. It now seems that the successive generations have adopted and embraced narcissism, and we wonder why they are making more and more risky decisions. Almost daily we read articles about "rogue (any occupation)" who have made risky decisions, lost and have been caught. But the truly sad part is, they often taken unwilling and unwitting third parties down with them. Part of being a narcissist is the elevated belief in your own ability and opinions, and that others are inconsequential.

I was reading the article in the American Psychology Association website by Sadie Dingfelder about the link between the self-promotion and the rise of narcissism. She begins by imagining a society where narcissism is rampant and has now become an integral part of the "fabric of that society". A simple reflection on our current society (regardless of where you are in the developed world) and this imaginary state is perhaps closer than we actually believe. A simple browse through the numerous social media sites will remove doubts you have. Then a visit to news sites that gives us examples of excessive risk taking by young executives who have grown up in this age of self promotion, remove any doubts I may have had. The studies mentioned by Dingfelder seem to suggest that narcissism is on the rise. She seems to lay much of the blame with parents and the internet. The ability and notoriety associated with "internet fame" tend to push more and more to publish their daily lives in greater and greater detail. The widespread availability of the internet to do this in developed countries is obviously a decided contributing factor. In previous readings, I have found that current teen would rather be and aspire to be an assistant to a current celebrity, rather than working for a prestigious institution like Harvard.The problem seems to have gained a "life of its own", so much so that it now has its own name - Narcissistic Entitlement Syndrome (NES). In his blog on employment issues, Harrison Barnes examines it and looks at its effects on employment. He identifies the characteristics of those suffering from NES and issues that result in the workplace. Barnes also points out that there is a sense of narcissism in us all, but that the degree differs. If we examine the characteristics that are cited by Barnes then we can perhaps have a greater understanding of the issues and problems. The problem lies not with the development of narcissism, but with its ongoing effects into the adult life. Barnes points out that many of the NES "sufferers" tend to have trouble with maintaining a "healthy working environment and a fluent work history". 

So what can we say are the general about our office narcissist, and how can they be recognised?

1. They tend to be pre-occupied with their own obvious ability, brilliance and power. They crave advancement and success
2. They tend to have a sense of self-importance that is not always supported by their actions and past performance.
3. They tend to lack empathy and can be quite exploitive of others (both in and outside the workplace)
4. They tend to be jealous of others when they succeed or gain recognition, and convinced that others are jealous of them.
5. They tend to require constant recognition and approval, even for minimal/mandatory gains or successes.

Although this sounds and reads like a list of semi admirable traits, together they tend to provide a picture of a self-centred and self-absorbed individual. However, Barnes also points out that these "types" tend to be heading towards a real problem when failure eventually catches-up. Part of the responsibility for creating a coping adult is to ensure that things do not get out of hand in their teens. In early adulthood it may be too late to change the attitudes that are already ingrained. I suppose then it gets down to whether as parents, we are prepared to keep promoting this kind of entitlement and narcissism in our teens?