American Ego

'AS THE IDEA OF SELF-ESTEEM AS A SOCIAL VACCINE spread from California to other parts of America and elsewhere , Baumeister was pricked with doubts. “There wasn’t a specific moment,” he says, “there was just a growing sense of skepticism. I started noticing they were making awfully extravagant claims, like they could balance the state’s budget because people with high self-esteem earn more money and pay taxes.” He read the California state report and its argument, and wasn’t impressed. “The data was quite weak. I thought, ‘If that’s the best case, then it’s not that strong.’”'In this deeply layered story, Will Storr takes us into the life of Roy Baumeister, a rebel psychologist who challenged the popularity of Nathan Branden's theory on the high self-esteem importance on a person's, and country's wellbeing.