I'm Special....

Hello, I'm Special: How Individuality Became the New Conformity by Hal Niedzviecki #2

In addition to wanting and trying to become a “special” person, or known for doing something or being someone, the “I’m Special” lifestyles that we see celebrities living makes us crave what ever it is they have even more. As Niedzviecki writes about this phenomenon of celebrity status and this goal of being/becoming someone special, I have begun to see a pattern in how he describes the how and why people are affected so much by certain things and why they do certain things. These are all efforts to become something other than themselves. More of this and a bigger this and a different that. Having certain things makes people feel special, of course it does, but the need and struggle to reach that celebrity status and be that special is something I’ve found very overwhelming. Niedzviecki says, “This material all promotes a whole new relationship to the self: a philosophy of “I’m Specialism,” a belief that not only do we want to live in fancy houses and drive fancy cars like pop stars to, but we also desire their all-powerful sense of self, the validation they exude just by being who they are.” We want what ever it is that we see that celebrity’s have and they have what they have because they are special. Peop0le see this and feel that they need what ever it is in order to reach the same level and be as special as that celebrity on TB. As Madonna puts it “we are living in a material world,” and it’s becoming a growing problem. That is because as a society our focus is being taken away from more important things and problems which material possessions, money, and celebrity statues are not going to fix.