Beggar Archetype, Self Aggrandize vs Self Respect

January 9, 2017 — beggar, healthy self image, needy, self aggrandizement

Beggar

Fascination with celebrity grows stronger as we are saturated with all kinds of award-winning (or election winning) famous people. I used to follow rock music and know most of the artists. I was familiar with the television and radio performers as well as the movie actors. There were not very many of them to track when I was a child. I knew all the players on the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. The sports stars were not as wealthy or elite as they are today.  They acted more like part of the community.  Celebrity, in and of itself, had not been discovered as a means to become more famous with no particular achievement or talent.  We had not created a crazy delusional world in which we reward self-centered behavior over all else. Now we have made this world and live with the bizarre consequences.

Self aggrandizement, or self-glorification was not an acceptable way to present oneself when I was young.  Society today revolves around it in an exaggerated way.  Reality television has made every possible conceit and vainglory into entertainment. National politics are now a reality show, with shocking plot twists daily. We have become a nation of beggars.  While a large number of our citizens are reduced to depending on others for basic food and shelter, some make a full-time job of begging for attention, love, power, and justice.  Dignity is not a consideration for those over zealous needy attention seekers.  They stop at nothing to increase their own power and wealth.

The biggest problem I see with this trend is value corruption of the youth.  We are teaching our children that fame is a valuable commodity, while failing to teach self-respect and self-care. Healthy self-love is a product of mindfulness, forgiveness, and boundary setting. Taking care of needs rather than frivolous desires builds self-esteem and confidence.  Choosing companions and activities that uplift and educate will build self-respect and lay a foundation for an intentional and meaningful life. Let us focus on real value, real merit in order to improve our reality.  What do you think, gentle reader?