U.S. culture can be defined by personal gain and individuality. People in the United States are constantly striving to better themselves and their career. From a very young age, children are told they can be anything they want, as long as they work hard for it. Many people will not settle for anything but the best when it comes to their career, their luxuries, their lifestyle, etc. The U.S. has adapted in order to accommodate for this shared desire of betterment. Work days are long and hard, food can be purchased easily on the go, cities are built for efficiency rather than style, and many things that used to require leaving the workplace or home can now be done at the click of a button. Overall, U.S. culture places a lot of focus on getting things done, so people can climb up the ladder of success.
In my opinion, this cultural aspect has pros and cons. On the one hand, a fast-paced, individual society allows for many people to become wealthy, and live the life of their dreams. Likewise, the U.S. as a whole is a wealthy, successful country due to this aspect. On the other hand, there is a cost. Successful people often preach about how much “blood, sweat, and tears” they had to dedicate to perfecting their craft. Steve Jobs spent countless hours in his garage crafting his first computer. In the end, of course, this brought him great success. For some people, however, living in the moment is much more important. Constantly climbing the ladder of success means giving up time with friends and family, time for leisure, and time for trying new things. I believe these are also forms of success. To be sure, it is important to work hard, and sometimes make sacrifices for your career, but I believe there must be a balance between work and life.
I believe people outside of U.S. culture view the fast-paced, individual culture as hectic. After studying abroad in Spain, I noticed a much larger emphasis on free time and social interactions than in the U.S. I believe this judgment is true not only for Spain, but for all other cultures. The U.S. is viewed as a place people move to for economic gain and a “better life.” I think many other cultures see the appeal of this, but many also do not. It really just depends on each individual person. Some people value a personal career and some value spending time with loved ones. Every person in a culture can not be labeled by one cultural aspect.
This exercise has helped me prepare for my journey abroad by making me think about what cultural aspects I will encounter in the next semester. Perhaps I will find that a stereotypical aspect of Italian culture is not true at all, or maybe it is only in certain regions. I am also very eager to converse and learn from people of different cultures. I am curious to see how they view the U.S. Will it be in a positive or negative light?