The Cult of Self (Part One)
Are you tired of hearing the advice to ‘do what you love and the money will follow’? Let’s take a closer look at this sentiment and its flaws. In this episode, I’ll begin to delve into the cultural obsession with the self and explore how we got to where we are today.
Listen in as I explore the history of how the concept of self has evolved in Western culture, from the early days of Christianity after the fall of the Roman Empire, to the rise of Humanism in the 14th century, to the emergence of faith healing in the 19th century. They say that history repeats itself – will this be the case when it comes to our current cultural fixation on the self?
And as with everything I share on the podcast, this is what I believe based on what I’ve read and researched. But please don’t take my word for it. Keep what sticks, discard the rest and for goodness sakes, go out and test drive it!
What You’ll Learn In Today’s Episode:
Why the belief that you just have to love what you do might actually be damaging.
The historical origins of the current obsession with self.
Whether it’s possible to elevate the self to a point that puts our well-being at risk.
What Was Mentioned:
Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us by Will Storr
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Power of Positive Thinking by Reverend Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand
We the Living by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
Joy; expanding human awareness by Will Schultz
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“But what I wanted was, it turns out, was different than what I needed.” – Christina Sestan
“If not for the magical idea that loving a career is a key part of success, I might have allowed the discomfort to actually wake me up.” – Christina Sestan
“What I needed was something a little more practical and down to earth. Someone to tell me to gird my loins, pull up my socks and get ready for a long road of business building ahead of me. Someone to tell me it was going to be hard.” – Christine Sestan
“The age of human perfectionism was neatly swapped out in Christian theology for the age of God’s perfection. What had once been considered good about humans was now attributed to God.” – Christina Sestan
“This journey back through history, as superficial as it may be, is beginning to feel like a great pendulum swinging back and forth between the ideals of the self on one side and denial of self on the other.” – Christina Sestan
“I know, twenty years later, that I am not all things to all people and I have become much better at discerning the value I have to offer, and perhaps more importantly, the situations where I do not have value to add.” – Christina Sestan
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