ABSTRACT
British and American cultures encourage a degree of narcissism through valuing individualism over community, competition over co-operation, and through circulating the perception that personal qualities, attitudes and efforts are more important in determining a person’s status in society than cultural and structural influences such as the economy, educational background, class, race and gender. Pop, movie and sport icons are venerated and provide a benchmark of success for others to strive for. Image, power, money, status and achievement are all valued more highly than a person’s emotions, capacity for relationship and ‘deeds that only she knows about’ (Golomb, 1992).
