Self improvement gone to far?
I think this is the right place for this.
It appears to me with the increase in the availability of media, though the Internet, many publications and the television that there is a lot more information around. With the general ethos of self-improvement, think positive and all your dreams come true, be active in decision making, for fill your potential and such like seams to be the big buzz over he past few years. This constant driving towards bettering yourself and becoming all that you can be is all you seam to hear about, look at you local new agents and see how many diets, motivation or other such like article are around, there are loads and every mouth there is magazines writing new articles on these subjects. What effect is this having on society as a whole, your opinion?
Personally it think there is one assuming effect and one that is more sinister. Firstly with all the media portraying the idea person that you should be many peoples rebellious nature shows though to the surface, they try to not fit into this media perfection, they try to do everything they can to be different. However in doing so they create a group that they belong in and in so follow different media. For example take the Goth/punk/heavy metal scenes. I few years ago these where not as much in the media they are now, why are they now, simple because so many people rebelled against the original media ideas that they created this scene to be individual yet within it they follow and are become indoctrinated, if they are wishing to be free form this, and express themselves so freely then why do they have a set look, why do they follow idols and try to conform to stereotypes. Perhaps is that they on some level wish to be within a group, though not the media ideal but a group none the less. As this has progressed the media has produced more article magazines publicity and it has become more and more mainstream. On an example closer to the nature of this site, the media portrayal of hackers (I use the term as the media does in this case) is very glamorised when you look at the films and portrays that they are rebels and a danger to society. Now back to what I was saying about people desire to rebel, the media portray a glamour version of the truth and emphasises the rebellious factors, and also the exclusiveness almost of the culture. Do you wonder why there are so many new script kiddies, simply because they want to be “cool” a “rebel” have appreciation fro there peers for there talents as it where. What the diving force behind this, media and the desire to for fill you potential something that is constantly pushed in our face. This I find rather amusing that these rebels are in fact are trying to conform to a different group but still want to be recognised for there skill, an idea pushed by the media. What wrong with doing a job you like earning enough money to do what you wish and live in relative comfort, why do we have to try for that promotion which we all know is more stress more hours and not as much fun. To live up to your potential.
Now on a more sinister side I would like to use the example of eating disorders. Recently this has come to light a lot more, people are staring to realise the amount of people out there with eating disorders, also they are realising that to have an eating disorder does not mean that your bulimic anorexic or an overeater, that these are extreme cases, anorexia and bulimia at one end and over eating at the other end. How many of you have every though to yourself, “I shouldn’t eat that …..” and give yourself reason such as it is unhealthy, I only eat a few hours ago, I don’t need to eat that, ii eat that it will go straight to my hips/stomach/thighs whatever you make and excuse for yourself not to eat. Or vice versa have you ever eaten comfort food, thinking you “treat” yourself, or that eating a whole tub of ice cream was great tasting but so bad for yourself, or simply sat there chomping on chips all night sitting alone at home perhaps you don’t even notice the loneliness because you eating. Ever wondered why food has such an effect on us? It’s the media, wanting to be thin, have the six pack, be fit, be healthy these are all portrayed in the media and although I agree that trying to eat healthy and keep yourself fit is a great idea I see it going too far, the media throws role models in our faces, skinny twig models, loose weight, diet to be a better person, calories calories, healthy eating, balanced diets and prevention against illness such as cancer. Is it really so hard to see that this is creating a society that is obsessed with food. That the media shows people whom fit into this body idea and say how successful and how perfect they are. That with the media pushing of self improvement is it any wonder why people are suffering more and more from eating disorders? That is just one example other might include the workaholics whom work to be the best most perfect employee, or trying to be the perfect partner to your loved one. This obsession with trying to become greater better more perfect in every avenue of our lives, is a course us to over evaluating every little detail of our self and what we do, and it appears that we keep getting told what we should be like and when we see any fault or minor imperfection we beat our selves up because that was not perfect. Is it any wonder why more people are on anti depressants when they are told to be perfect and look a certain way work a certain ways even enjoy themselves certain ways, the quest for self improvement always there, and this leads to over analysis and many many people seeing themselves as less worthy because they didn’t do this or that to the best of there ability. Has this quest for self improvement gone too far? Is it creating more problems than it’s solving? I look forward to you replies.
Kindred69
