David Brooks. Man, is he good. In his newest article, “Superiority Complex,” he examines the democratization of elitism in our country:
“‘Know thyself,’ the Greek sage advised. But of course this is nonsense. Truly happy people live by the maxim ‘Overrate thyself.’ They are raised by loving parents who slather them with praise. They stride through life with a confidence built on an amazing overestimation of their own abilities. And they settle into an old age made comfortable by the warm glow of self-satisfaction. Each of these people is a god of self-esteem, dwelling on a private Olympus.”
If you’re into social criticism, check out Brooks’s excellent book “Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There.”