Our Culture Nudges Us Towards Narcissism
The Boston GlobeKate Price
October 24, 2010
The Boston Globe
Kate Price
October 24, 2010
JBMTI Project Associate Kate Price penned a Letter to the Editor in response to a recent Boston Globe article portraying the current generation of college students as uncaring for others.
Thank you for reporting on the importance of empathy in "Empathy is so yesterday" (Ideas, Oct. 17). However the basis of Sara Konrath's study of college students appears to have missed some key connections when exploring the relationship between narcissism and empathy.
Self-absorption often stems from the need to cover feelings of inadequacy. Therefore, it is important to understand why this group senses they cannot measure up, as well as the likely consequences of living in a culture that overemphasizes competition and promotes a may-the-best-man-win mentality. In a world where “do-gooder’’ can be an insult, students driven by a fear of failure are likely to equate being soft-hearted with vulnerability.
Furthermore, increased communication through texting and e-mail can inhibit empathy. Neuroscience is confirming that our brains are hard-wired to connect with other human beings. Mirror neurons allow us to read behavior, and are the basis of empathy. Thus, decreased face-to-face contact in relationships inhibits our ability to connect with others and to function as biologically intended.
Now more than ever, we need to support the development of interpersonal responsiveness and empathic connection.
Kate Price
Wellesley
The writer is program associate at the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute at Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College.
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