"I Wanna Talk About Me" by Toby Keith
Let's talk about someone else
Toby Keith became famous for his catchy American lyrics. He is one of my favorite Country Music artists. May he rest in peace.
One of his songs from the early 2000s has become prophetic.
The song “I Wanna Talk About Me” depicts a man tired of hearing about his significant other’s extended family, work, friends, dreams, and much more.
Here is the popular part of the song, “I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I. Wanna talk about number one, oh my me my. What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see. I like talking about you, you, you, you usually; but occasionally, I wanna talk about me.”
I could not think of a clearer mantra for today - “I wanna talk about me.”
In the spiritual life, things go haywire when one’s focus selfishly turns inward. St. Augustine called this incurvatus in se (being caved in on the self). Humanity’s most significant weakness has always been when it caves on itself.
In his work, The Divine Comedy, the Italian poet Dante Alighieri depicts a scene when he enters the depths of hell. He sees Satan flapping his wings in a hell that is frozen. Satan is stuck in himself, consumed in his little world, and the devil doesn’t even notice when Dante is in his presence. The devil’s mantra is evident - “I wanna talk about me.” Dante’s point about hell is also apparent - hell caves in on itself (incurvatus in se).
What does the Biblical tradition teach us about incurvatus in se - the “I wanna talk about me” mentality?
The Bible is not interested in the boring narrative of self-promotion, how I made myself, or how I define myself. It has zero time for the “me, myself, and I” mantra. In the Virgin Mary, we see the exact opposite of the incurvatus in se (“I wanna talk about me”) mentality.
The Angel Gabriel greeted Mary and stated, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Mary is troubled but does not consume herself in her wants and needs. Instead, Mary is open to God’s grace and responds, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Mary’s life is open to new horizons, possibilities, and adventures. Such is the beauty of life when one is not caved in on the self.
Next, we read of a beautiful encounter when Mary greets her cousin, Elizabeth. Elizabeth says to her, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-44). How, then, does Mary respond?
Mary praises God: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” (Luke 1:46). She then continues to praise God because He is a merciful and strong Savior who remembers His promises. Mary talks about God, not herself. The incurvatus in se—" I wanna talk about me” mentality—is nowhere to be found.
The contemporary story “I wanna talk about me,” in which I am the author, I star in it, I control the plot, I decide which characters are or are not in my story, etc., is not that interesting. It is a boring narrative told excessively.
On the other hand, the story of salvation in which God is present and active is worth discussing. We ought to talk about God much more than we do.
Fr. Ben Daghir
