The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement

I wish it wasn't so redundant, but it showed everything. They are absolutely right, narcissists do harm and many, many times even their actions are contagious. Sadly I have been a victim like many in the worst way, many psychopaths currently use narcissists to defame others at work and so on. I don't like working with idiots, but from what I see there isn't much to do. At least this book helps me so that my narcissism does not increase and to identify many who act humble but from what they do it is clear that they are not really like that.

As both a higher ed administrator and parent, I cannot say enough good things about this book. As someone who grew very tired of reading books on the millenial generation, written by baby boomers (often parents of millenials), touting their greatness, this book more accurately reflects what we are dealing with in our schools and in the workplace. The generation of "everyone gets a trophy" has failed to learn how to establish meaningful relationships and their sense of entitlement is eroding our nation's values. Cheating is at an all-time high on college campuses and students do not want to put in the work to get the grades. Parents of younger children will find it helpful to avoid some of the pitfalls that lead to raising narcissistic adults. I also spend time at my son's elementary school and I can say for a fact, the problem is not going away and we need to fix it. The girls his age, only 10 years old, already act like divas and treat each other poorly. The boys, too, seem ultra-competitive for such a young age.Twenge and Campbell set the foundation of their book with plenty of excellent research to back their analysis without bogging the reader down and putting him/her to sleep. Quite the opposite, I could not put the book down. I've recommended it to many friends and colleagues and we have great discussions over this book. Millenials are a generation of individuals who all believe they are the best, the smartest, the hottest, the insert-compliment-here-est - all starring in their own make-believe reality shows with FB, twitter and instagram further perpetuating the need to be noticed, to be the center of attention. The authors are spot on with regard to volunteer work. If it isn't going on an application or resume, millenials are not so quick to participate. Getting students to volunteer at a Christian university proved quite difficult at times and turnout at events to benefit others was less than expected most of the time.In the final pages of the book, the authors offer a prescription for change. I agree whole-heartedly that it starts with parents and educators. We need to teach humility, compassion and point out similarities among us versus how we are different/unique. Parents have a huge role in teaching their children they are NOT the center of the universe, also warning against materialism and entitlement. Teaching our children to live on a budget will help them to be better future citizens and save them from the economic ruin so many are facing today. If we start now, maybe the authors' wish to one day write a book about the retreat of narcissim will come true. For the sake of our country's well-being, I certainly hope so.

"Societal narcissism is the missing ingredient in understanding the financial meltdown." ~ pg. 134If you are looking for the reason the world is in such a mess look no further than this book. "The Narcissism Epidemic's" authors show how everything from school shootings to the recent financial meltdown is all the result of narcissism. While entertaining to some degree this book is a bit of a downer. The authors don't seem to want anyone to have any fun. They seem to think having a spa day is a bad thing although I'm sure even going to the spa can become an obsession."Spending money on material goods provides a rush and canbecome an addiction." ~ pg. 134Throughout the book there are plenty of pop culture references and examples of how narcissism is ruining the world. To me at least it just comes down to basic human nature and how we are all suffering from selfishness. The authors do provide some interesting observations like how narcissists become overly confident and this undermines their performance. They explain how telling children they are special can actually be damaging and encourage parents to reconsider certain parenting styles. I was surprised that the author mentioned Joel Osteen quite a few times since to me he is just a very positive voice in a troubled world. How could he be making things worse?Well to be honest this book is just a HUGE reality check. It does contain some blatant sexual language so if that offends you, you might want to avoid this book. It was interesting to me that during the time I was reading this book I watched Iron Man 2 - who they say is a textbook narcissist. After reading this detailed book I could immediately recognize this in the first part of the movie. In fact it sort of made me dislike the character for most of the movie. He just seemed so arrogant. Well apparently narcissists are very entertaining when they are young but end up ruining all their relationships as they grow older.So in the end, this book does explain a lot of the world's problems. It also explains the popularity of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. It is worth a read but don't expect this book to lull you into a quite peaceful place. This book may make you feel a little uncomfortable because it forces you to face reality. To be frank, this book is honest and blunt! But then again, you might find that entertaining. You may also realize that you are surrounded by narcissists! Oh by the way, they are also responsible for global warming. This book covers everything. lol~ The Rebecca Review

Por que a futilidade está se tornando uma epidemia? Este livro responde esta questão e analisa as razões pelas quais também estamos nos tendendo à intolerância e às bolhas psíquicas com suas narcisopatias.

Not a self-help book but brilliantly explanatory.Ever wondered why, after being subjected to a roundly humiliating or dismissive bout of someone's 'temper' or controlling attitude, you're left with that uneasy feeling that some of your socalled friends, neighbours, quite a few people you've met in general, and sadly, even family members really are the s***heads you sometimes imagine them to be? A read of this litle piece of literary magic will help you to stop being a chump over and over again for people who don't and probably cannot love or care for you (because narcissists lack the capacity to recognise you as a person in your own right for starters) and make life just a bit more insightful and thus bearable. Even when they do exhibit any sense of warmth towards you, it may be rapidly followed with a backlash of gaslighting, emotional deprivation, or unfathomable rage. It may even save your life if the implications within intimate relationships oultined in parts of this book were to be carried to their psycho-dynamic conclusions as is often evidenced in the realms of domestic violence.Alas, there's no great chance of stopping the spread of narcissism throughout every aspect of the cultural, political, economc, and private spheres of life at the moment. Not enough people even know what it is (it's not simply self-love for goodness sake!), let alone how it works or how to address this modern scourge affecting lives indiscriminately across all social strata. Even childhood is not immune to the overbearing, the vengeful, the self-righteous and, as everyone is now becoming painfully aware, the unreconstructed rage of the little school bully. Above all, for the moment, there seems to be no end to an unjustified sense of entitlement among great swathes of the ordinary population, here and elsewhere. Nor are these sentiments displayed just among the super-rich, 'celebrities' and the near-famous. Today, these attitudes and character traits often define the meaning of personal, creative, business, and worldly success!The raft of narcissistic attitudes are more and more conspicuously the character trait in common between these and many other types. And you don't need a certified diagnosis straight out of the DSM to be included among them. Narcissism is alive and well in families. universities, and the the new frontier of the ordinary everyday workplace.At the very least, this book will remind you what it means to be a decent person in an increasingly heartless world.

Bevor diese fromme Hoffnung der Autoren sich jedoch jemals erfüllen könnte, werden wir "Weltbürger" erst einmal mit dieser "sich selbst erfüllenden Prophezeiung" (self fulfilling prophecy) zu leben gelernt haben müssen, daß eine "Epidemie des Narzißmus" (The Narcissism Epidemic) uns heimsuchen wird ... oder daß diese Epidemie uns bereits "kontaminiert" haben könnte. Denn was Keith Campbell und Jean Twenge in diesem hier rezensierten unfaßbar realistisch verdichteten Überblick zu den Gefahren der zunehmend geradezu epidemisch wachsenden Gesellschaft selbstsüchtiger, also Ichbezogener, Menschen beschreiben nach ihren langjährigen Studien, resultiert in deren Horrorszenario: Nämlich in der Beschreibung der Lebenswirklichkeit des Amerika anno April 2010 [dem Erscheinungsdatum dieses Werkes).Na ja, Amerika ist weit weg, wird man wohl nicht ganz zu Unrecht abwiegeln. Ja? Wie weit weg? Die paar Flugkilometer von Airport zu Airport? Oder die Distanz von Mouseklick zu YouTube & Co.?Daß wir alle "internationalisieren", halte ich persönlich für "echt cool", um es neudeutsch auszudrücken. Denn es "bringt Leben in die Bude", wie ich finde, weil es u.a. verkrustete Strukturen beleben kann, die ohne Notwendigkeit als geradezu überlebenswichtig verteidigt werden, obwohl sie --bei genauer Betrachtung-- nichts anderes sind als eine der vielen, vielen Überlebensstrategien unseres Daseins, ich meine: anthropologisch betrachtet. Viele davon haben sich ja bewährt, also müssen sie bisher wohl sehr brauchbar gewesen sein. Aber es gibt auch insoweit gewachsene Verflechtungen, die nix anderes mehr sind als "liebe Gewohnheiten" oder sogar tradierter Unfug, die man aus den diffusesten Gründen, oder auch aus kommerziellen Gründen, nicht aufgeben mag.Sie wissen selbstverständlich, was Narzißmus WIRKLICH bedeutet. Aber wissen Sie auch, daß "Narzißmus" keineswegs stets eine krankhafte Erscheinung ist, sondern daß wir alle unsere "narzißtischen" Bezogenheiten haben? Na, dann können wir ja endlich reden über dieses Buch.Narzißten in UNSEREM Sinne müssen nämlich keineswegs geistesgestört, hirnkrank oder behandlungsbedürftig sein. Nö, sie sind lediglich so eine Art "Produkt" unserer schnelllebigen Zeit. UNSERE Narzißten sind Menschen wie Du oder Ich. Nur haben sie offenkundig eine andere Vorstellung davon, wie ein gedeihliches miteinander-Zusammenleben gestaltet werden muß, damit es überhaupt funktionieren kann. Denn trotz aller Bildungsmöglichkeiten scheint es sich auch heute noch nicht hinlänglich in den Köpfen etabliert zu haben, daß "Zusammenleben" nix anderes bedeutet als eine Art "Symbiose", wie wir sie inzwischen aus Fauna und Flora kennen ---und wenigstens dort zu begreifen und zu akzeptieren gelernt haben!Dieses wissenschaftlich fundierte Werk enthält 326 engbedruckte Seiten, in dem das Entstehen, die Auswirkungen, die Vorteile [if any] und die Nachteile einer narzißtisch geprägten und handelnden Gesellschaft kompetent untersucht, analysiert und beschrieben wurde, und in dem die Auswirkungen eines uneingeschränkt gelebten Narzißmus gnadenlos dargetan wird.Das Buch ist von den beiden Autoren ausschließlich in amerikanischem ... plain (authentischem) Amerikanisch verfaßt; Sie dürfen sich als Leser also auf so einiges "gefaßt machen" --- und auf diesem Wege wird sogar Ihr Wortschatz der Amerikanischen Sprache um einige Idioms "bereichert" werden, die nicht mal Google sinnvoll zu übersetzen imstande war ... oder der amerikanische Freund des Freundes meines Freundes ...Aber wen kümmern schon Sprachbarrieren in unserer aufgeklärten Zeit? "Es steht doch allet in die Böcher!"Genau! Deshalb verzichte ich auch ausnahmsweise darauf, wesentliche Inhalte dieses Buches ausdrücklich hervorzuheben. Ich wüßte allerdings auch gar nicht, was mir als besonders erwähnenswert erschiene. Denn: Dieses Buch und seine Erklärungen dazu, weshalb wir in einer zunehmend selbstsüchtiger = narzißtischer werdenden Gesellschaft leben, ist ... eigentlich eine Zusammenfassung aller bereits publizierten Gedanken, einschließlich Jedermanns zuweilen bereits mehr oder weniger vage gedachten Gedanken zu der Welt, in der wir heute leben. In Deutschland, nicht in Amerika! wohlbemerkt!Außerdem ... daß der berüchtigte "Bubble" fast jedem Haushalt irgendwie bekannt wurde, sei unterstellt. Und wer wie ich auch heute noch mehr oder weniger häufig dubiose Briefe von Treuhändern oder selbsternannten HeilsAnwälten erhält ---, der wird vielleicht genauso wie ich wissen wollen, wie es zu einer solchen "Pleite" hat kommen können. Tja, auch daas kapiert man dann ... irgendwie, obwohl "man" sich danach erst recht fragt, wo man wohl seinen Verstand gehabt haben mag ...Der "ganz gewöhnliche Narzißmus" ist auch meiner erlebten und gelebten Lebensauffassung nach eine der größten Gefahren unserer "globalen" Neuzeit. Denn DIESE Form des immer mehr um sich greifenden "ganz normalen" (schein-baren) SELBSTVERSTÄNDNISSES", daß Jedermann ALLES und JEDES so ganz selbstverständlich ZUSTEHT!!! --und zwar ohne Rücksicht auf Herkunft, eigenen Input oder Quellen solcher RECHTE--, kann auch meiner Auffassung nach nicht längerfristig gutgehen. Warum und unter welchen ganz und gar völlig simpel "irdischen" Voraussetzungen und Bedingungen manche Entwicklungen "ganz normaler" narzißtischer Eigenbezogenheit ein geradezu epidemisches Ausmaß annehmen können, lernt man aus dieser Publikation.... aber manchmal wünschte ich, ich hätte dieses Buch nicht gekannt, denn "man" beäugt seine Mitmenschen fürderhin schon etwas kritischer! Überlegen Sie sich also, ob Sie diese scheußlichen Wahrheiten ertragen können, die diese beiden unvergleichlich realistischen und sachkompetenten Autoren Prof. Keith Campbell und Prof. Jean Twenge Ihnen vermitteln werden: Bei sachverständiger Lektüre werden SIE als Leser sehr viel ärmer sein an Illusionen.Aber reicher ... mindestens um die Gewißheit, daß es ja schließlich auch Menschen gibt, deren narzißtischer Selbstbezug ..."ganz normal" ist. Denn auch DAS gibt es, man höre und staune ... oder lerne es aus diesem Buch.Dieses Buch ist 326 eng bedruckte Seiten dick, es enthält Contents; a Foreword to the Paperback Edition; the Introduction; the Appendix: How Individuals Affect Culture, and Culture Affects Individuals; the Acknowledgments; and the Index.Mit dem frommen Wunsch: "A few years from now, we would love to write a book titled "The Retreat of Narcissism and the Rebirth of America" beschließen die Autoren dieses Wahnsinns-Buch auf S. 303.Tja, da schließe ich mich doch sogleich gern an: So do I. Me, too. Ich hoffe es ebenfalls sehr. Der Himmel möge unser Flehen erhören!!!

A must read especially for people under 30.It also helps a lot to anticipate toxic relationships and protect yourself and your organization against them.Valid for personal and professional life.A big thanks to the authors.

In spite of a few repetitive factoids, the authors have created a well researched examination of the hows and whys of the cultural shifts that we are all experiencing around us. We have evolved from 'the greatest generation' of the 30s and 40s to 'the egotistical generation' of the 2000s. This shift is caused by child-centered parenting and educational practices, the narcissitic internet sites where superficiality and pomp have replaced actual relationship building, a media that has taught us to place its idols on very tall pedestals and, lastly, a banking and lending system that strongly encourages loans to those who cannot afford them simply because of the profit-taking that ensues. The future of such a social plague is not very pretty and it appears that only an economic or social crash will stop this character consuming process. Are we now entering the era known ultimately as 'the worst generation' or can we, as a group of shrinking but concerned persons, turn this anomaly around?