Acquired Human Overvalidation Syndrome

            So, was watching the rerun of American Idol a while back.  Boy, were they sucky.  Well, most of them anyway.  There were a few who undoubtedly deserved the coveted yellow (not golden!) ticket to Hollywood and fame.  And there were some who humble me thot deserved the ticket, but the judges begged to differ.  Oh well, I’m not Simon Cowell, (or Randy or Jen or Steve) so what do I know.

            As for the sucky ones, how do they suck?  Let me count the ways.  They sucked because… oh, too many to count.  Too lazy to count.  But I really applaud their sense of worth and their high self esteem.  And also, their impaired hearing.  And also, the impaired hearing of their mammas and their poppas who keep stoking the fire of their ego until it becomes an uncontrollable massive inferno.  I’m all for guarding children’s sensibilities and cultivating their sense of worth.  All children want, need and deserve validation.  Heck, adults too want, need and deserve validation.  But when it is misplaced and given in too enormous doses, it leads to self esteem that pierces the stratosphere and produces individuals who think they are the greatest gift to universe.  What’s more, they can’t, or refuse, to see otherwise.

            I call this the Acquired Human Overvalidation Syndrome.  This is what happens when children (and non-children) get abundant praises that are untrue or exaggerated.  Now, I tell my Sophie she’s beautiful and smart all the time.  But that’s because they’re true!  I sure as heck ain’t gonna tell her sings good if she doesn’t. Instead, I’d very gently but firmly steer her away from any ambitions of becoming a crooner.  I’d tell her that while I’m sure she’d succeed as a singer if she really puts her mind to it, I simply don’t think she has the time to really pursue a singing career.  So let’s just leave singing to other people.  She should instead concentrate on her real calling, which is finding the cure for AIDS and cancer and winning the Nobel Prize.