Generation me: I’m GREAT, you’re just OK
Back in the seventies when I was a kid, the mantra was, “I’m OK, you’re OK.” I remember reading that in a cartoon book. The idea was to promote self-esteem among the young, telling them “you have self-worth.” Some critics of the self-esteem movement argue the pendulum has swung too far, that society inflates kids’ view of themselves. Now, they argue, it’s “I’m GREAT, you suck.” Perhaps.
Raina Kelley has written the following in Newsweek:
Growing up, my literary heroines were those who, like me, struggled to be good: Jo from “Little Women,” Harriet the spy, Laura Ingalls and Pippi Longstocking. A strong-willed (and loud) child, I craved examples of unruly knuckleheads tethered to a loving family that encouraged us to be our best selves despite our natural inclinations. Precocious but naive, I thought of myself as an ugly duckling—misunderstood in my youth but destined for a beauty and stature completely impossible for my loved ones to comprehend. I shudder to think what a monster I would have become in the modern child-rearing era. Gorged on a diet of grade inflation, constant praise and materialistic entitlement, I probably would have succumbed to a life of heedless self- indulgence.
via Generation Me
Generation Me? I thought my generation was the “Me Generation.” I suppose there isn’t anything new under the sun.
Similar Posts:
- Generation Me redux
- Pride (In the Name of Love)
- A contemplation of heaven
- College grad: “I wished I’d gone to prison instead”
- Getting ready for Christmas
© 2009, Mark Adams. All rights reserved. For inquiries press here.
