confessed to me that he and his classmates were constantly being told that they were the best of the best, which pressures them to prove it by pursuing the sorts of activities and research that wins honors. It is not only narcissism we have to worry about; it is solipsism.
This connects back to the problems that school standards set on the youth. The constant reminder of what is being done in those schools and the people around you is torture for the kids trying to get through college.