What Is Endemic Narcissism?

Anna Lembke calls the present an age of endemic narcissism, where narcissism has become so common that everyone is struggling with it. What people really want is human connection, the lifeblood, along with social validation, reputation, and affirmation. Every other drug is an indirect vehicle to try to get that.

Likes, shares, comments, and followers make the chase much more possible. AI agents are completely engineered to supply affirmation, so a person can get it from an AI chatbot that says how wonderful they are, without other humans. Studies, not only clinical observation, show that social validation and reputation enhancement release dopamine, and the brain's reward pathway feels really good.

Technologies force people to look at themselves. From childhood on, the encouragement is to achieve and go to the best schools. Parents measure their success as parents by what their kids are doing, what school they went to, and how much money they are making. Narcissism is contrary to how humans evolved, which is to live together in tribes.