David Mills The Me Generation Summary

As I convene to ponder David Mills’ article on self- esteem, Thomas Wolfe’s dubbing of the baby boomer generation as the “me generation” persists in tugging at my mind. Wolfe accurately describes a change that transpired in the decade of the seventies following one of togetherness in the sixties to one of self-absorption and hedonism, through those two words accentuating the word “me.” Unfortunately, each generation subsequent ensures onto their children the idea in which every individual exists in the center of their own personal universe and they merit anything and everything they covet and can procure. Therefore, Mills’ article happens to be not merely about self-esteem it is about the human quality of egocentrism driven by generations of individualistic thinking. The subject of self-regard remains a producer of disquiet as Mills supposes because of the urge to succeed as an exercise of achieving goals or acquiring tangible objects becomes one of stress and anxiety ridden.
Hence, our troubles arise out of ourselves in the contemplation of universal praises. As Mills states, “your choice is not between self-esteem and self-condemnation, [but] …between establishing an overall self-image [and] establishing no self-image” (supl., p.8). Thus, self-esteem is based in procurements which become the baubles of success. Is one not still seeking accolades from the outside world to pose as a reflection of the image of oneself in order to sense superiority? As soon as one does not receive these accolades, which one feels they are due, resentment sets in which leads to futility and