“It’s All About Me”
[Sept. 2004, Intro to Humanities]
"And
now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the earth, this god whom
men have sought since men came into being, this god who will grant them joy and
peace and pride. This god, this one word, "I.”[1] Ayn Rand raises this hymn
as the very pinnacle of her novel Anthem.
Her expressions sound extreme, but whether we like to admit it or not, they are
characteristic of Western values in recent years. Her philosophy is written
into much of what we see and hear in popular culture, though perhaps not so
bluntly stated. We live in a “me” culture believing excessively in the
importance of the individual. This is even evident in the advertisements that
surround us, often digested without a thought to the messages that they send.
The focus is often peculiarly egocentric. Life is all about what you want and
what feels good to you, they imply, and we are here to cater to your whims. No
longer do we simply want things; we are told that we need them—for our
psychological well-being, of course. More than that, we are so important that
we deserve what we want.
An
advertisement in a recent issue of Ebony magazine illustrates this. At the head
of the page, exotic type invites the reader to “Escape”. “Exams got you working
overtime?” it asks, touting Ebony’s get-away college tour featuring free
massages and make-overs. Models in three photographs to the right recline in
relaxed poses. The implication is that the student deserves a life ease for
working hard. Increasingly over the last few years, financially secure
Americans just want to be comfortable. The ad appeals to readers’ feelings of
egocentricity by inviting them to come and be pampered. The underlying argument
is the idea of fulfillment in life by indulging oneself, which the sponsor
assumes will resonate with most readers.
Obsession
with outward appearance comes as a direct corollary to the culture of
selfishness. If my feelings are what really matters, the reasoning goes, then I
must look perfect so others will appreciation me and give me the attention that
I deserve. A casual survey of the ads in any national magazine will confirm the
wide extent of this belief. Ad after ad for all varieties of products,
including the Ebony ad previously discussed, feature handsome men or gorgeous
women enjoying the product. The illusion created is that if the consumer will
buy the product, he would be handsome, too. This illusion is actually the goal
of some advertisements. A sensuous close-up of the face of a beautiful model
dominates a Cover Girl ad in the May 2004 issue of Ebony magazine. You must be
this beautiful to be accepted, she seems to be saying as she caresses her
flawless cheek. The text of the ad explains how Cover Girl make-up works with
all types of skin to bring out natural beauty, purposefully leaving the
impression that their product can create the kind of attractiveness exhibited
by the woman in the photograph. An impossible standard of appearance seems the
norm; average looks are no longer culturally acceptable.
The fast
food chain Wendy’s uses another approach to take advantage of the “me” culture:
convenience. A larger than life reproduction of a juicy hamburger makes the
reader’s mouth water, while directly beneath an eye-catching banner informs him
of Wendy’s late hours. The text at the bottom gives a piece wisdom from ‘Mr.
Wendy’, an enthusiastic applause for being able to get a burger at Wendy’s
whenever one wants: “…and you don’t even have to get out of your car. Is that
cool or what?” The ad appeals to the high value Western culture places on
convenience. Not only do we want what we want, we want it now. The advent of
innovative technology such as the internet and cellular phones that has brought
amazing positive advances in society can also be a burden. We become so used to
convenience in every day life that we begin to look upon it as our right, and
then we begin to see trends such as widespread abortion for convenience. We
have become very unwilling to endure inconvenience for the sake of a higher
principle.
Self-centered
values have been a part of Western culture since the rugged individualism of
the American pioneer days, and they come partly as a danger of our capitalist
economic system. The constant vying for attention by companies who ply us with
promises of fulfilling our desires often has an intensifying effect upon the
selfishness innate to the human sin nature. This can have tremendous negative
ramifications for our society. We think we can achieve utopia by indulging our
every desire, but what happens when individual desires clash? The results are
obvious in the anger, rudeness, and indifference toward others we see every
day.
A universal
tenet among secular counselors is that one cannot shine as a fulfilled
individual until learning self-love and acceptance. The Scriptures approach the
issue in a completely opposite way. In Philippians chapter two, Paul calls
believers to be imitators of Christ in the unselfish humility that took Him
uncomplaining to the very cross. We are to “consider others better than
ourselves.”[2]
He continues to say that the result of Christians loving sacrificially in this
way will be that we will “shine like stars in the universe.”[3] Our brightness finds its
source only the light of Christ, a light that is desperately needed in our
culture to turn hearts away from self to the One who is truly valuable.