A recent article published in Personality and Social Psychology Review suggests that narcissism is on the rise among college students. These students have become dramatically less empathetic and less compassionate.
Some 64 percent of the respondents in this particular survey think getting rich is their most important goal in life. They believe that they are the center of the world. They are here to get something. They are here to win something. They are here to earn something.
They see themselves as special and entitled. For them the only things that matter in life are looking great and excelling in achievement. They have the hidden belief that winning the attention of important people and positioning themselves well will bring the world right to their door.
Only 30 percent in the same survey believe that helping people in need is their most important goal in life. Early in their self-identity formation, these young people are concerned about the impact of their behavior on others. They are on the path to a meaningful purpose and a sense of mission.
Only 30 percent want to live compassionate lives. They are focusing less on themselves and more on the world around them. They want to be in connection with others. They want to enter into the brokenness of others. They want to give. They want to put flesh on what psychologist William James (1842-1910) said about the purpose of life, “The best use of your life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.”
Only 30 percent believe they are here to take care of themselves and to take care of others. They are not here to get something. They are not here to win something. They are not here to earn something. Instead, they are here to give and not to count the cost.
Only 30 percent realize that they were given talents and abilities not just for their own self-glorification. They were given gifts and capabilities to be used for God’s glory. St. Paul describes our purpose this way: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (Corinthians 10; 31).
They know they are here to live. They are here to live well. They are here to make a difference. They are here to live for a meaningful purpose. They are here to live as fully as possible in the present moment and find their purpose. “God has made everything for his own purpose” (Proverbs 16:4)
They are not living fantasies about the past. They are not living fantasies about the future. They want to live each day with dignity and appreciation. They want to taste the preciousness of the present moment. They want to “be here now” with its crises and uncertainties.
At an early age, these young people know they are here to live life with a meaningful purpose. They sense that their purpose is something outside of themselves. It is something greater than they are. They sense that our birthright is to have a higher purpose and a clear mission.
They have a meaningful purpose. They have a clear mission. They want to make a difference. They want to nurture their own hearts and souls with self-care. Then they know they can care for others. They are exquisitely seeking an inner spiritual practice. Our outer lives are always a reflection of our inner lives.
Tragically, 64 percent of those young people who responded to the survey think it is money they are missing in their lives. Instead, it is a meaningful purpose and a sense of mission they are missing. Some 64 percent think it is recognition and importance they are missing in their lives. Instead, it is a meaningful purpose and a sense of mission they are missing.
Some 64 percent think it is congenial relationships they are missing in their lives. Instead, it is a meaningful purpose and a sense of mission they are missing in their lives. Some 64 percent think it is the right job they are missing in their lives. Instead, it is a meaningful purpose and a sense of mission they are missing.
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-90) captures his own purpose and his own mission in these words; “God has created me to do him some definite service. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. He does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about.”
Msgr. Thomas J. Morgan is retired pastor of St. Mary Parish and St. Thomas More Parish, Cherry Hill.
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