The primary task of any society is to construct persons who can help the society survive and flourish. Different societies have different needs and construct persons in different ways. Crucial to this process of construction is a society’s formulation of ideals for how to be the best kind of person and live the best kind of life. In this talk I will describe the ideals of modern economic society and the social practices it has generated to create persons according to these ideals. I will then use Kohut’s understanding of the self and intersubjectivity theory to show why and how modern society is creating persons with highly developed rational, pragmatic egos but with deeply injured selves. I will also show how many of the ills of modern society, including homelessness, the addictions, prejudices, and tendencies to seek authoritarian leaders can be explained by the failure of society to tend to the selfobject needs of its subjects.