God is dethroned in order to fit the individual's quest for self-actualization. This condition leaves people with the inability to make long-standing commitments and leads to superficiality and aloofness. Education and church participation are evaluated on the basis of personal fulfillment. They are not viewed as opportunities to use one's gifts for the good of others. All of us are guilty of these attitudes occasionally.
Christian growth is the process of peeling away layers of self-centered desires.
According to Moreland, the couch potato is the poster child for the empty-self. Rather than equipping oneself with the tools necessary to impact the culture for Christ and His kingdom, many people choose to live vicariously through the lives and actions of others. The words we use to describe our free time support this notion of passivity . The goal seems to remain in a passive state while someone else is paid to amuse you. One of the most powerful factors contributing to this passivity is the television.