Vanity: The Seven Deadly Sins Of Society

1376 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social media effects on narcissism

Since the beginning of time,vanity, one of the seven deadly sins, plagued society. The Bible illustrates this through the tales of tragic horrors of vanity by people who are excessively conceited and overly proud of their appearance, qualities, and achievements: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). This recurrent theme of boastful pride, encompassing oneself is an even more common theme in today’s society. From endless, painful plastic surgery to never ending hours spent taking and photo-shopping selfies to post, just to acquire more likes and followers, pinpointing where major populations of society went astray is difficult. People are consumed with themselves instead …show more content…

Millennials and Generation Z have come under the severe criticism by previous generations for being overly obsessed with themselves and their technology. Generation Me as they have been nicknamed, are notoriously selfish and self-absorbed. With changes in society, due to technology, new sentiments have arisen: “Modesty is out. Humility is discouraged, hubris is in. Blame it on the baby boomers spoiling their children. Or even all those self-esteem gurus who argue that if you make young people feel good about themselves, they will “release their potential” ” (Furnham). Narcissism, the inflated sense of self-importance, correlates to the excessive vanity of the current younger generation. However, while most people may believe that narcissists have a tough shell, most have fragile egos, that “requires abnormal amounts of admiration and praise from others to survive...caught up in their fantasies of power, prestige, and popularity that they are impervious to the needs of those around that. Your job is to worship them; to see them as perfect people. To feed and support their grand self-image” (Furnham). This behavior is seen all throughout social media outlets, people posting vaniful selfies just for the admiration of others to feed their own egos. Perfection is strived for to get the most attention and people will jump through hoops, not minding who they may be harming in the process just to get a breath of veneration. The rise of narcissistic personality disorder is parallel to the rise of general vanity in today’s society, “diagnoses of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) have risen sharply over the past 10 years: the rate of increase is comparable to the rise in the rate of obesity” (Fishwick). A certain amount of narcissism is necessary, especially in the age group of seventeen to twenty-one as they find their place in society; however, their drastic increase in the use of technology has made this short phase

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Why Your Office Needs More Bratty Millennials '

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    Millennials are often portrayed as spoiled rich people who still rely heavily on their parents for everything. This makes them seem childish, and Matchar’s questionable usage of these terms nonetheless is an obvious jab at the poster minority. Millennials overall are hard working and put under more stress than their predecessors, and the ridicule they endure for their work is uncalled for. Therefore, the thesis’s major flaw almost entirely overshadows its main

    Read More

  • Willa Faul's Case: Narcissistic Personality Disorder

    1366 Words  | 3 Pages

    Narcissistic Personality Disorder Arrogance; an insulting way of thinking or behaving that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or more important than other people. Arrogance is an attitude that can describe any individual with overbearing pride. However, American Psychiatric Association notes that people who are also narcissistic are frequently described as cocky, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. According to Paul J. Hannig, Ph.D, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy” (Ashmun). By examining the relationships, behaviors, and internal conflicts within, Willa Cather’s Paul’s Case, Paul’s “case” can be diagnosed as Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

    Read More

  • Generation Me: Narcissism in Today's Society

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book Generation Me by Jean M. Twenge talks about many strong problems we in in today’s world. It has always been taught that our thoughts and feelings are important. It's no surprise that students are now being tested on it. Even when schools, parents, and the media are not specifically targeting self-esteem, they promote the equally powerful concepts of socially sanctioned self-focus, the unquestioned importance of the individual, and an unfettered optimism about young people's prospects. It explores the consequences of individualism that go beyond self-esteem, and all the ways that we consciously and unconsciously train children to expect so much out of life. Narcissism is displayed many times throughout Generation Me but I will be focusing on narcissism portrayed through parents and children, I do believe this happens often in this day and age.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis: "Inherit the Wind"

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    Classified as part of the Dramatic Personality Disorder, a Narcissistic Personality Disorder is based on the extremity of self-admiration. The origin of the specific personality disorder comes from the Greek root word “narcissism,” which is based on Greek mythology of Narcissus who was a man that fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. The cause of the illness is unknown, however professional mental health doctors believe the condition may be due to how a child was raised. When still in the adolescent years, excessive unconditional or an insufficient amount of love from the parents may be the cause of the disorder. Early signs of the mental illness can be spotted by adulthood. The majority of the people who are diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder show symptoms such as being conceited and garrulous by exaggerating achievements and goals that are unrealistic while ...

    Read More

  • The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls Essay

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the Mayo Clinic, narcissistic personality disorder “is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others.” Generally people that suffer from narcissistic personality disorder

    Read More

  • Self Confidence And Narcissistic Personality Disorder

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    An unfortunate development in the past few years is the social construct that the future generation is steadily becoming more selfish and vain. Likely originating from the countless “selfies,” or pictures of oneself, being taken by teenagers and young adults, adults of the last generation seem to be under the impression that the Millennials in line to take power will have more priorities meant to benefit the individual rather than the population as a whole. Thankfully, they are mistaken. Still, though, it is a problem that the line between self-confidence and narcissism has become so thin that we can no longer be one without the other. General impressions of the words have been passed down through the years, and unfortunately both have become so watered down that they seem basically the same. So what is the difference between confidence and narcissism?

    Read More

  • Social Media is Not the Mother of Narcissism

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    Here’s a question, how often do you check your social media profile’s notification? Based on a research conducted, it is revealed that, Facebook users around the world logged into their account approximately 42,000 years of human time each day (Gutierrez, 2013). An article written by The New York Times stated that the current generations are becoming narcissistic and it is believed that social media are among the plausible factors that promotes it (Quenqua, 2013). However, how true can this statement be? Many researches have proven that social media is not the main cause of narcissism. It has been demonstrated via the real role of social media, the co-relation between social pressure and narcissism, the failure to conclude acceptance of criticism instead of narcissism, the current generation trend and the real problem of narcissism.

    Read More

  • Narcissism In Daring Greatly By Brene Brown

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today, our culture demands us to be perfect, thin, powerful, successful, smart, extraordinary, but when people begin to try achieving them, we start labeling them as narcissists. The problem is that it is impossible for anyone to please everyone. Brown defines narcissism as simply a “fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose” (22). Before giving out labels, it is wise to practice asking ourselves questions to clear the intentions and reasons of someone’s behavior. For example, teenagers posting pictures of themselves online to gain some attention reveals that the culture has taught them that they are as lovable as the number of likes and comments they get on social media. Negative feedback roots into negative thinking about vulnerability and causes them to shut themselves down and never show their real selves again. Encouraging others to believe that they are perfect as themselves, will plant a positive attitude in them and push them to pursue their goals and visions to fulfill their dream of a happy

    Read More

  • Baby Boomers Vs. Millennials

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    When the Baby Boomer generation was questioned about the newer generation, these words and phrases was often used: “slacker”, “lazy”, “has it easy”, “entitled”, “obsessed with their phones/internet/games” and “antisocial”. On the other hand, Millennials (or Generation Y) would say this about their older counterpart: “entitled”, “ruined it for those who followed”, “had it easier”, “narcissists”, “stubborn”, and “materialistic”. The reason for why the elders would see it that way is because they had to live without the quick solutions that teens have nowadays. This “elders bashing on the newer generation” isn’t uncommon, as seen by what was recovered from Aristotle’s and Plato’s time (Rampell 389). For Millennials, some of their tension comes from the fact that they will be the first generation earning less than previous generation for the same amount of work (Roos). Not only that, but the prices for land property, and college education, which is needed in many jobs nowadays, has skyrocketed compared to their parent’s and grandparent’s. Due to this wealth gap, it sparked a lot of tension between the generations, and this can be seen in smaller environments, such as in the

    Read More

  • Narcissism In Generation Me

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Jean Twenge’s novel titled, “Generation Me”, she describes “Generation Me” as a group of self-obsessed, overconfident, assertive, miserable individuals. “Gen-Me” cares about what other people think so much they 'll go to great lengths to “impress” their peers. Self-obsession can be viewed as a sickness of the mind. The average person may be oblivious to the fact that 1 out of 6 people are narcissists. “Narcissism falls along the axis of what psychologists call personality disorders, one of a group that includes antisocial, dependent, histrionic, avoidant and borderline personalities. But by most measures, narcissism is one of the worst, if only because the narcissists themselves are so clueless.” - Jefferey Kluger

    Read More

  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

    2496 Words  | 5 Pages

    Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a mental disorder classified in the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as one of the major personality disorders. Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as defined by the DSM-V, is the “pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy” that typically begins by early adulthood (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Those individuals who suffer with narcissistic personality disorder often have an inflated sense of self-importance while also displaying other characteristics. Individuals who exhibit five or more of the following traits are often diagnosed with the personality disorder: “(a) a grandiose sense of self-importance; (b) preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love; (c) beliefs of being special and unique; (d) requirements of excessive admiration; (e) a sense of entitlement; (f) interpersonal exploitativeness; (g) lack of empathy; (h) envy of others; and (i) arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes” (Skodel, Bender, & Morey, 2013). Those who display these traits often display them in socially stressful ways that affect their relationships with others and interferes with their professional and personal lives.

    Read More

  • Millennials, Narcissism, and Social Networking Sites

    1210 Words  | 3 Pages

    Recent research has uncovered that the Millennial Generation are more Narcissistic than previous generations (Orr et al., 2009). Narcissistic Personality Disorder is “identified by the presence of grandiose self-importance...” (Bender, 2012). Narcissists tend to see themselves as being intelligent, powerful, physically attractive, special and unique, and they expect special treatment from others while believing they owe nothing in return (McKinney, Kelly & Duran, 2012; Orr et al., 2009). Alongside this increase of Narcissistic behaviour, there has also been an increase in usage of social networking sites (SNSs) (Orr et al., 2009). SNSs such as Facebook and Twitter have been growing at an exponential rate, particularly Facebook, which is currently

    Read More

  • Clothing In Society Essay

    1694 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sociologists know that a person 's clothing - the same social alarm, as well as his speech, behavior, etc. Even those who assures us that "dresses them quite interesting," and dress as casually as possible, in fact,.. thus inform about their role in society and its attitude to the culture in which they live.

    Read More

  • Narcissism In The Workplace Essay

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robbins & Judge (2009) describe narcissism as an individual “who has a grandiose sense of self-importance, requires excessive admiration, has a sense of entitlement, and is arrogant.” Poet Tony Hoagland brought up a valid observation in the textbook about the American culture

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The Millennials

    1613 Words  | 4 Pages

    We blame the millennials for their behavior and their different characteristics compared to previous generations; however, what if we stop looking at the millennials and start looking at the reasons that they behave sensitively? Each generation contains their differences, including the way they educate the next generation. We continuously judge the millennials behavior, but we rarely judge the people who influenced this behavior. Education has changed throughout the ages, not to mention the parenting skills that vary from generation to generation, which has affected the millennials way of interacting in the world. Millennials grow up believing that they are imperative, that they are secure, that the world will conform to their generation, and that the world is a “nice” place. This teaching, causes millennials to be sensitive babies early on in life. True, millennials have the freedom to act the way they want; nevertheless, like other generations, millennials will act the way that parents and other influences taught them to behave. The millennial generation should not be liable for their

    Read More

More about Vanity: The Seven Deadly Sins Of Society

Open Document