A Chapman adjunct professor’s new book diagnoses American culture as the root of the country’s obsession with perfection and excess.

Jay Slosar will present his book, “The Culture of Excess: How Americans Lost Self-Control and Why We Need to Redefine Success,” at a lecture today at noon in Argyros Forum 201.

“It’s about how excessive we are and our declining self-images of success that are immediately gratifying, yet harmful to our development,” Slosar said.

Slosar worked on his book for about five years as he observed how Americans became more narcissistic with high expectations.

Some of the problems are that American culture fosters overindulgence, immediacy and excessive use of technology.

“We need to establish more rules and boundaries,” Slosar said. “People hate that, but boundaries are necessary.”

Boundaries help people to regulate self-control, said Slosar, who teaches introduction to psychology and child psychology and development courses at Chapman.

Despite the long book process, students say Slosar hasn’t let it affect his teaching.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” junior Jessica Navarro said. “He doesn’t seem distracted at all [by his work].”


Contact this reporter: crystal.saavedra@thepantheronline.com