If, in the twentieth century, 'character' gave way to 'personality'… then in the twenty-first century 'personality' exists only if it is broadcast, rated, praised and consumed by as many people as possible — put on display for strangers as well as intimates. In addition, the overpraised American personality expects regularly to assess the worth of others, regardless of his qualifications for doing so: instant polling, telephone surveys that follow even the most mundane business transaction, voting on television shows such as American Idol, ratings on websites such as Amazon.com and eBay that rank buyers, sellers, and even rate the raters all give the overpraised American a perpetual reminder of his own supposed control over the success of others.
'The Overpraised American: Christopher Lasch's "The Culture of Narcissism" Revisited' [Policy Review #133, 1 October 2005.]
Use the link below to read the full 2005 article by North American scholar CHRISTINE ROSEN:
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