Very few women are model-thin; none stay young. Very few men have the vast resources of Donald Trump or Bill Gates. And very few men, women, or children become famous authors, movie stars, musicians, and athletes. Given such unrealistic standards of value, it’s no wonder that shaky self-esteem is the norm in the United States. And it is hardly surprising that one in ten Americans is clinically depressed and that so many suffer from anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. These problems are, at least in part, a direct consequence of a culture that promotes rarely achievable standards
...more
