THE SELF-ESTEEM MOVEMENT

American Hysteria

W!ZARD Studios

Society & Culture

4.4 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 November 2021

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the late 1980s, a New Age America began telling children that they were special, that if they just believed in themselves all their dreams would come true. Not only that, but spiritual seekers and psychologists began making claims that programs in self-esteem could solve all our most pressing national issues, an idea soon supported by law and order conservatives as well. The value of self-esteem as a social savior has settled into our culture as an almost unquestioned truth, but what if it is all based on a lie? Today we follow the long journey of one charismatic leader who knew how to get both sides of the political spectrum onboard with his vision of utopia. Become a Patron! to get access to our follow-up talk show 'Hysteria Home Companion' Head to truebill.com/americanhysteria to start saving money today American Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith Sound design by Clear Commo Studios Co-Researched by Riley Smith Produced by Miranda Zickler Follow American Hysteria on social media: Twitter: @AmerHysteria Instagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcast Find our merch at americanhysteria.com Check out Will Storr's book Selfie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	On this podcast, we explore fantastical thinking, moral panics, conspiracy theories, and urban legends,
0:14.0	examine the forces that shape our culture, and tell the stories that create the realities we share, and sometimes the realities
0:24.0	we don't.
0:25.7	I'm your host, Chelsea Weber Smith, and this is American hysteria.
0:32.7	The next time I start to feel bad about myself.
0:36.4	Stand before the mirror, look myself in the eye and say, you are special.
0:40.4	I'm one of a time.
0:42.9	But even after doing this for more than 20 years, no one's been able to prove that it does work.
0:48.6	Today I'm selling a super duper, fabulous, fantastic thing.
0:53.9	Me. Repeat after me., fantastic thing. Me.
0:54.6	Repeat after me.
0:56.7	I can't.
0:58.2	Stanley.
1:00.1	I like myself.
1:01.9	I like myself.
1:04.0	I like myself.
1:05.9	I like myself.
1:07.4	I can be anything I want to be.
1:11.1	I like myself.
1:20.6	Recall for me now, dear listener, the feeling of classroom self-help exercises from your elementary school afternoons.
1:32.5	Maybe, like me, you can remember a kush ball tossed ever so nicely across a circle of your
1:41.2	10-year-old peers, blank and bored looks all around. As you catch it, like they're
	...

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