內容簡介
內容簡介 我們活在一個強調「個人」的世代：我們必須非常瘦、非常有錢、非常快樂、非常外向、讓大家非常喜歡。這是我們文化所灌輸的「完美自我」形象。不管走到哪裡，我們都可以看到這樣的催眠過程：廣告、媒體、所有的社群網站。我們被教導：要去成為那個「理想中的自己」，要去追尋自己的夢想、而且手上掌握無限潛能，成功完全取決於自己。但這樣「理想自我」的觀念，卻可能很危險。因為很多人為了這個虛妄的幻想而感到痛苦。這樣的壓力可能會促成憂鬱、甚至自殺。究竟，這種形象是從何而來？為什麼這種完美形象這麼強大？有人可以打破這樣的詛咒嗎？本書將帶我們探索各個時代的「自我形象」轉變過程：從古希臘，一直到基督教中世紀、再到自我感覺超良好的80年代加州。看自戀(愛自己)風潮的崛起、看自拍世代、最後再到現在這個超強調「自我」的新個人主義時代。本書將告訴我們一個人的精采故事，這個人我們都再熟悉不過：就是我們自己。‘Fascinating’ Guardian‘Brilliant’ Evening Standard‘Electrifying’ Financial Times‘So interesting I literally couldn’t put it down’ Sunday TimesWe 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 by Will Storr 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 hyper-individualistic neoliberalism in which we live now.It tells the extraordinary story of the person we all know so intimately – our self.As featured on Russell Brand's Under The Skin podcast.
