There’s nothing special about thinking that kids think they’re extra special
“You are not special. You are not exceptional.”
Blunt words, delivered in June by English teacher David McCullough Jr. to the graduating class of Wellesley High School in Massachusetts. They quickly went viral. Lauded as an especially fitting message for today’s self-entitled “me generation,” McCullough’s speech garnered praise around the media world, from the Christian Science Monitor to Rush Limbaugh’s radio show.
McCullough’s remarks struck a chord, speaking to a sentiment that’s echoed in popular culture. Children born in recent decades are thought to be narcissistic praise-junkies, raised by over-adulating parents. The constant coddling, meant to boost self-esteem, instead robs these kids of legitimate self-esteem — the kind that is earned.