The False Self-Esteem Generation Are Now Parents
We’ve talked about the effects that false self-esteem is likely to have on children raised to think every little thing they did, to include failure, was “awesome”. A couple of decades ago, some parents of the “me” generation adopted the false self-esteem nonsense Nathaniel Branden published in ‘The Psychology of Self-Esteem” (1969) which purported that the most important factor in raising a child was instilling a health sense of self-worth:
For decades afterward, children’s television shows reminded their young viewers that they were the most important people in the world. Teachers heaped praise upon even the most lackluster students, and little league coaches dispensed trophies to anyone who showed up to play. Criticism and competition became suspect.
That spawned the “all about me” generation. And that generation is now parents. As you might imagine, the way they were raised has had a less than desireable effect on how some of them approach the job of being a mom or dad. Christine Rosen has a long but fascinating article covering the topic. It’s worth the read and should stimulate some very interesting commentary.
~McQ