Narcissistic kids
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A former Marine lieutenant friend of mine once said that the corps had a saying that, “Mothers are ruining America.”
I’ll put forward the idea that it’s parents and educators who are actually ruining society by raising generations of narcissistic kids under the bogus philosophy of pushing self-esteem over actual learning, discipline, and any real connection or empathy with others.
Why would kids develop into well-rounded people when they’ve had years of parents telling them that they are special and then teachers parroting that theme, which places self-esteem before reality?
Never mind that by the time the kid graduates high-school, they can’t read beyond an elementary grade level or spell worth a damn. It’s all about the kid feeling good about themselves for 12 years. And what that translates into are people who have expectations far beyond their abilities: entitlement without merit.
Young people who’ve never been challenged in school will face harsh realities when they leave their fantasy world and enter the real world.
We’ve all heard about teenagers graduating with high marks that mean nothing but inflated indicators hiding the failures of the educational system.
The flip side of pushing self-esteem is greed, selfishness, and the whole gamut of the basic seven deadly sins. Special people don’t need to follow the rules, and narcissistic people are more likely to cheat, not less, just as they are more likely to be aggressive.
Most, if not all, of the problems in society today can be traced back to how too many kids view themselves as above hard work and have never been pushed to the limits where they can experience failure.
We have to get rid of this idea that everyone is special and that everyone is a winner.
This doesn’t mean we go to the opposite extreme and belittle kids. It means drop the whole issue.
Robert T. Rock
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