While running to catch the subway in New York over fall break, I passed a woman wearing a shirt bearing the message I LOVE ME. Screw the Not Penn State t-shirt-- this is the ultimate Penn shirt. The bookstore should order 10,000.
Recently, I've been thinking about this issue of self-involvement a great deal. That is, when I'm not sitting around thinking about myself. The other night I found myself arguing with a friend over who was the most self-involved person we knew. We went back and forth debating until deciding that it was a wash. In this quarrel of who wins the "me" contest, we're all in a tie for first place.
I'm unsure of the root of this problem, whether it's just Penn, college in general or something specific to our generation. I can tell you one thing, though: I'm sick of people answering their cell phones while I'm the middle of attempting to have a conversation with them.
Perhaps all this self-involvement is the byproduct of a liberal arts education. Initially, we are told that college is a time to expand your horizons by meeting people from different backgrounds. Take, for instance, the "seminar." The "seminar" is one of the most inaccurately billed items on the menu at Penn. Let's stop pretending that the "seminar" is some hallowed three-hour period for "engaging in intellectual discussion" and call it what it really is -- a three-hour slot for people to sit around and talk about themselves while everyone else in the room rolls their eyes. Before anyone can comment on the actual course material, they must first preface their statement with their life story. "As a 1/4 Greek, 1/4 Malaysian, 1/2 white Jewish lesbian from Des Moines, I think..." Enough already. No one really cares. And pretending that you are interesting doesn't make your comment any less stupid.
Even my sociology professor is doing it. A lesson on gender roles mutates into a diatribe about the state of her marriage. She offers such startling revelations as "Just because my husband has a penis doesn't mean that he can mow the lawn any better than I could." Awesome. It's great to know that she hasn't been getting any lately.
Ultimately, the realization that you are not the center of the universe comes a little late. But who am I to try and tell you what to do? I don't know you from Adam.
