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Selfie

How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us

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Selfie

By: Will Storr
Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
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About this listen

We live in the age of the individual.

We are supposed to be slim, prosperous, happy, extroverted and popular. This is our culture's image of the perfect self. We see this person everywhere: in advertising, in the press, all over social media. We're told that to be this person, you just have to follow your dreams, that our potential is limitless, that we are the source of our own success.

But this model of the perfect self can be extremely dangerous. People are suffering under the torture of this impossible fantasy. Unprecedented social pressure is leading to increases in depression and suicide. Where does this ideal come from? Why is it so powerful? Is there any way to break its spell?

To answer these questions, Selfie takes us from the shores of Ancient Greece, through the Christian Middle Ages, to the self-esteem evangelists of 1980s California, the rise of narcissism and the selfie generation, and right up to the era of hyperindividualistic neoliberalism in which we live now.

It tells the extraordinary story of the person we all know so intimately - our self.

Exclusive to the audiobook, Selfie includes a unique 15-minute interview with the author, Will Storr, and reader, Jack Hawkins.

©2017 Will Storr (P)2017 Macmillan Digital Audio Anthropology Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions

Critic Reviews

"Fascinating." ( The Times)
"Thoughtful and engaging." ( Guardian)
"Brilliant." ( Evening Standard)
"Electrifying." ( Financial Times)
"Approaching genius." ( Sunday Times)
All stars
Most relevant
I've now listened to this several times. I first heard Will Storr being interviewed on Australian radio on Life Matters. Loved the ideas and bought the book. Then the audible. It is so under-stated and clearly argued with an almost detective novel feel to it. Meaning that it's a page turner. Not trivial, Will. I use Will Storr's ideas with clients in my Psychotherapy practice to let them know the truth. The relentless quest for perfection is a chimera and an unachievable goal/dream. More than that, it can create so much unhappiness. Let's get on the self-acceptance path. Which as Mr Storr argues, is not about resignation and accepting 'less than', so much as it is about a compassionate acknowledgment that to be human is to be un-perfect.

Great to contextualise our epidemic of narcissism

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great story and important points raised but some times for completely distracted by Jack (the voice) stepping into character for protagonists' quotes

not sure about the impersonations

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