Self Importance

I blame Facebook.

In their book, “The Narcissism Epidemic,” Jean M. Twenge and W. Keith Campbell cite data to suggest that at least since the 1970s, we have suffered from national self-esteem inflation. They cite my favorite piece of sociological data: In 1950, thousands of teenagers were asked if they considered themselves an “important person.” Twelve percent said yes. In the late 1980s, another few thousand were asked. This time, 80 percent of girls and 77 percent of boys said yes.

Fine, Facebook didn't exist in the 1980s when the data was collected. But...it is a product of the attitude and worse, a multiplier.

**added note - what I like about running a blog is that it puts things into perspective. I cannot be delusional about my importance. On a good day, 20-25 people read my blog, and probably some of those are repeat visitors. I am happy with that number, but it also gives me no reason to believe I am "important."