'll cover two more features of modernity in this post: Autonomous Individualism and Narcissistic Hedonism.
Autonomous Individualism. The individual is supreme. It is all about me. It is my way that counts. Who are you to challenge me? Who are you to contradict me? Who are you to bother me? Who are you to need anything from me?
Perhaps the theme song of this feature is the old Simon and Garfunkel tune, I Am a Rock:
I am a rock
I am an island
And a rock feels no pain
And an island never cries
Take a moment and listen to this video of the song.
In the twilight of modernity, our autonomous individualism has left us self-sufficient, independent, isolated, bereft of friends, incapable of participating in meaningful community, the arbiter of our own destiny, the (supposed) Master of Our Own Universe . . . and very lonely and very lost.
It is a general Axiom among Postmodern Christians that post modernity is a radical reversal of this feature of modernity and that in post modernity, community is a high value. Mark Sayers, in The Trouble With Paris differs and believes that in our condition of hyper-reality, individualism is more extreme than ever.
Autonomous Individualism by itself is one thing, but it is naturally joined together with Narcissistic Hedonism.
Hedonism is the way of life that believes pleasure is supremely important. Now, pleasure may be defined however the autonomous individual chooses to define it. It often takes on the form of some variety of sensualism and/or materialism. The pursuit of material comforts and the enjoyment of sexual desires are strong driving forces in our culture.
I typed in hedonism in my Google Search to look for an image to use. I have the safe filter settings on and it is still striking the pictures/images that come up for website. Almost everything is associated with sexuality. You can go on Hedonistic Vacations if you want! (I decided not to put any images on this post.)
Narcissus was the figure from Greek mythology who looked into a pool of water and fell in love with himself. The narcissist is the person who loves them self inordinately and fails to love others appropriately. The narcissist as hedonist believes that she or he deserves pleasure of the desired kind.
NOTE: One website said that 75% of narcissists are men! That sounds like it could be a book. Narcissists and the Women Who Love Them
Of course, money is no object in the pursuit of this kind of lifestyle and so we spend and live far beyond our means so we may have what we think we deserve.
If the 21st Century Man and Women were described by archaeologists from 1000 years from now, perhaps they would describe us as:
homo consumerus shoppus livingindebtus
You can easily see how autonomous individualism and narcissistic hedonism mutually reinforce one another and how such a person will eventually be very lost and very lonely. For they are incapable of selfless, generous love and sacrifice on behalf of others.
The current generation of Superstar Athletes is just one example of these qualities carried to extravagant excess.
Our culture's fascination with the Celebrity is in part a fascination with those who live the life of narcissism, hedonism and heroic individualism.
I would also come back and ask - is Post Modernity really that different on this issue? Is the emerging generation really that much different in this than their modern predecessors? Again, some authors would have you think post-moderns are significantly different. And again, Mark Sayers believes that Post Modernity is just the hyper-experience of this quality.
This is the world/culture in which we are called to live, lead, model the life of Christ (who is the anti-thesis) of both autonomous individualism and narcissistic hedonism, and offer a subversive alternative to the prevailing norms of our culture.
This is not an easy thing to do . . .
Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
