Super Short Summary

The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations by Christopher Lasch argues that economic shifts in late 19th and early 20th century America fostered a culture of narcissism. Using a Freudian-Marxist lens, he critiques various cultural phenomena, political movements, and social trends for promoting self-centeredness and weakening traditional community and family structures. Lasch contends this has resulted in psychological instability and superficial personal relationships, driven by a desire for external validation. The book also criticizes both political left and right for their roles in this cultural decay, and it analyzes sports, self-help, and spiritual movements as examples of this pervasive narcissism.