The current generation is now been named the selfie generation. I sit right between generation x and y. There is now a whole cultural group of people who spend so much time looking at them selves, thinking about themselves and talking about themselves, that they don’t realise the extremism of their age.
Narcissism is the next step beyond selfishness. A narcissist has no capacity to have empathy for another’s story. Every situation they find themselves in, they have the remarkable capacity to blame the other person in the scenario. The inability to say sorry, or see something through a lens that is not tainted by their own expectations.
Narcissism is one of the greatest risks of our age. We are teaching a whole generation of children to go out and get whatever they want. We are teaching complete focus on oneself, on ones own needs and on ones wants. The internet and the over saturation of information has created this giant vacuum of self promotion and the depth of character and empathy is lost in its void.
A narcissist will do anything they can to get their own way, not worrying in the slightest about where that leaves the people in their wake. The problem with our current generation, unless we teach them, they will grow up believing everyone owes them something. That they deserve to get what they want and they need it now.
The greatest lesson we can teach our children is that character is developed in living our lives to help another. Every time we teach our children to look outside their own perspective, every time we tell them that they will have to wait for that toy, every time we tell them no, we teach them to live beyond themselves. When we show them intently that they indeed have the most beautiful life, yes that comes with its own challenges and heart breaks. We also need to show them the difference between our privilege and the lives that other children live. Not in an intense, you should be grateful tone, but an inspired, you can make a difference one. Teaching our children the beauty of empathy and compassion. Teaching our children to live lives of mercy and grace.
Our pursuit of legacy with our new business Maximus & Liberty is to break the cultural norm that we can get everything we want now! We want to teach our children about children in other nations, children in our nation of Australia that have nothing. Talking about stories where children who wake up in a tent on the streets in our city. Kids that grapple with the thought of finding somewhere warm to sleep, where they are safe, finding something nourishing to eat, doing something that is fun like surfing, a hobby, somewhere where they are equal to all in the ocean.
We want our kids to know that their namesake is to live a life of strength (Maximus) and freedom (Liberty) is not a privilege that all children are born into. We want to build a legacy that is beyond our own wants and needs, that helps and creates opportunities for people who don’t have much.
Are you afraid that you are a narcissist?
Then start to give away your stuff. Your time. Your privilege. Your intellectual property and don’t expect someone to credit it. Start to give away those things that are closest to you. Think of a legacy that is beyond you and those closest.
Measure how many times this week you think about yourself and your own needs in comparison to another’s?
I’m not writing this, saying we as a family have it all together. We are far from this. I personally worry about what people think of me. I often spend most of my day thinking about myself but we are aiming to create something that challenges our whole family to leave a legacy that lasts.
We are also calling you all to think about what legacy you are leaving. We are hoping that our not for profit business doesn’t just sell surfboards, stand up paddle boards and more, we are hoping it changes culture. We are hoping for revolution.
How are you impacting the current selfie generation?
How are you teaching those around you to think beyond themselves?
These are the questions we are asking ourselves.
Join the Legacy,
