What do I blame them for?  The excreable American Idol “performances” of those fools who think they can somehow become famous despite having no talent or skills.  I don’t watch the damn show, but I can’t help but be exposed to it while watching the news on the local Fox affiliate.  It seems that every other commercial is a promo featuring some damn fool belting out an off-key (perhaps that is too generous as it implies proximity to a key) rendention of some song that is nearly unrecognizable.

True self-esteem comes from having a talent or ability to something well.  It also means knowing one’s limitations and capabilities.

Pumping kids full of self-esteem simply for the sake of them having high self-esteem does them no service.  It renders them incapable of accurately assessing their own abilities and failings and leads them into a trap of unrealistic expectations.  Or perhaps we’re simply breeding a generation without the ability to be ashamed.  Whatever it is, we need to stop doing it before we have to endure more American Idol-style nonsense.