The article by Sharon Begley in the July 13, 1998 issue of Newsweek entitled "You're OK, I'm Terrific; '' Backfires" talks about one of the possible problems with instilling in today's youth: violence. The article proposes that "narcissists are super sensitive to criticism and slights, because deep down they suspect that their feeling of superiority is build on quicksand." I agree with the article that "unjustified feelings of self-worth cause aggression" and the cause of these feelings is the policy of repeated, hollow praise that society has adopted.
Think of someone that you know who you think fits the definition of a narcissist and chances are that person overreact to insults and criticism. This is exactly what Begley is trying to bring attention to in this article. One example that Begley's paper is of a kid in Mississippi who killed his mother and two of his classmates and is found by three different psychologists to exude narcissistic traits.
It's not just a coincidence that narcissism is connected with aggression. A study at Case Western Reserve University found that "the most narcissistic people were the most 'exceptionally aggressive in the wake of criticism." It could be argued that it is, in fact, the other way around; the most aggressive people tend to be the most self-centered, but these two fact are ...
"When she was fourteen, a modeling agency said that her face was too fat. It was a death sentence." (Toronto Sun, 1994) Sheena Carpenter died in November 1993. She was found on the kitchen floor of her apartment by her mother. She was twenty-two years old. . . and weighed only fifty pounds. Sheena was just one of the alarming numbers of young wome...
Lack of Sleep Doctors say a human body is a mechanism that is perfectly designed. A healthy and a proper functioning body is a self sufficient unit able to effectively deal with all kinds of daily challenges. Our bodies do not require conscious control in any of its functions, such as digestion, breathing, and giving a heartbeat; all by itself aut...
is when a person is in a melancholy state. In the Encyclopedia Americana is defined as a normal response to a sense of loss, 'but when the is unrelated to any actual event or is grossly excessive in portion to its apparent cause, then it reflects some form of mental illness" (747). It is very unclear whether is produced by the psychological ex...
Topic: Cancer INTRODUCTION Attention Getter: More than 1/2 million people are expected to die of cancer this year. That's more than 1,500 a day. An average of 1/2 of men and 1/3 of women will develop cancer. Purpose: To inform my audience about cancer. Importance to Audience: Cancer can affect anyone, so you can gain something from this speech...
The coexistence of opposite and conflicting feelings about abortion is centuries old. Disagreements between public policy, morality and individual behavior on this issue existed even at the time of Plato and Aristotle. In the past few decades abortion issue has been brought into sharper focus and has been vigorously debated. A number of factors...