The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch was first published in 1979. Many of his observations are as applicable now as then. The major thesis of this work is that the 20th century was dominated by a drift from 19th-century values. Individual identity, i.e. rugged individualism, was replaced by a societal identity which is populated by narcissists. Ralph Waldo Emerson, founder of the transcendental movement, was a proponent of the power of the individual. To live, one must experience, was his credo. He thought that all people, times, and places are similar. Since “… there is properly no history only biography … in what is true for you and your private heart is true of all men.” He was against the idea of human progress, popular in liberal circles: “…society never advances for everything that is given, something is taken.” In those times, individuals with self-reliance and the positive values of industry, creativity and personal...(Read Full Article)