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Loading... A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character (original 1992; edition 1993)by Charles J. Sykes
Work InformationA Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character by Charles J. Sykes (1992)
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Charles Sykes's ProfScam sparked a furious debate over the mission and the failure of our universities. Now he turns his attention to an even more controversial subject. A Nation of Victims is the first book on the startling decay of the American backbone and the disease that is causing it. The spread of victimism has been widely noted in the media; indeed, its symptoms have produced best-selling books, fueled television ratings, spawned hundreds of support groups, and enriched tens of thousands of lawyers across the country. The plaint of the victim - Its not my fault - has become the loudest and most influential voice in America, an instrument of personal and lasting political change. In this incisive, pugnacious, frequently hilarious book, Charles Sykes reveals a society that is tribalizing, where individuals and groups define themselves not by shared culture, but by their status as victims. Victims of parents, of families, of men, of women, of the workplace, of sex, of stress, of drugs, of food, of college reading lists, of personal physical characteristics - these and a host of other groups are engaged in an ever-escalating fight for attention, sympathy, money, and legal or governmental protection. What's going on and how did we get to this point? Sykes traces the inexorable rise of the therapeutic culture and the decline of American self-reliance. With example after example, he shows how victimism has co-opted the genuine victories of the civil-rights movement for less worthy goals. And he offers hope: the prospect of a culture of renewed character, where society lends compassion to those who truly need it. Like Shelby Steele, Charles Murray, and Dinesh D'Souza, Charles Sykes defines the ground of what will be a significant national debate. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)362.880973Social sciences Social problems and services; associations Social problems of & services to groups of people Problems of and services to other groups People affected by criminal actsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Where it all began was the psychologists in the '70s coming up with the idea that proclaimed that anyone, no matter how normal, has some syndrome or condition. Among these, the "adult-child-of" conditions put blame squarely on Mom and Dad. This, whether intentional or not, led to people claiming that whatever they do wrong in their lives, be it legal, moral, or in their career, is not their fault. It's this (fill in the blank) condition.
The unfortunate thing is that I and others I have known have certain "conditions". I believe we all have different "quirks" that we get from parents, environment, and genetics. But unlike the excuse-makers, we acknowledge it and move on. We fix it if it becomes debilitating. We don't wallow in self-pity and throw ourselves to the mercy of society for them to feel sorry for us, and expect society to drag our wounded selves around with those that were lucky enough (successful) to not be affected by their affliction.
I will continue my search for a book that was written more to my level. ( )