A New Era of Service

President Barack Obama has called for a "A New Era of Service" in a Time Magazine article, dated March 10, 2009. He describes how through service, he found the direction he'd been seeking, discovering that his own story fit into a larger American story. This perception of contribution as a key to personal significance and security has deep roots in the psychology of Alfred Adler, who emphasized that a personal commitment to social contribution was a prerequisite for optimal mental health. It is not just the economic, educational, and medical fate of a nation that is at stake, but the psychological well-being of each of its' citizen. Too many greedy, socially indifferent, political and business leaders have set a national tone of justifying sociopathic policies and behavior. Perhaps President Obama will provide a new era of socially responsible, inspirational leadership by example.