When considering American culture, the most prominent aspect that we, as US citizens, hold dear is our reliance on individualism. What I find most noteworthy is the fact that this manifests in various ways in our society. The two most prominent examples that come to mind are our desire for independence and self-sufficiency in various aspects of life (such as owning a home, starting a family, or accumulating wealth) and the importance placed on each individual’s unique identity. This reliance on individualism can be a double-edged sword, however, especially when we analyze the impact of that specific culture that has evolved and caused divides amongst families, communities, and citizens.
Based on my personal experiences and beliefs, I find the mindset of solely focusing on one’s own life quite frustrating and upsetting. When we prioritize our individual lives over the greater goal of improving society, we collectively lose sight of our potential and fail in various aspects. This compounds more and more into the negative mindset we see portrayed with “everyone on their own,” breeding the contempt we see in modern US society.
With that said, I think most if not all, other countries that have a more holistic view of life and family and general culture will find this aspect of the US identity odd. Especially when looking at our dependence on capitalistic self-gain. Looking at universal healthcare, for most of these countries its policy, that policy comes from an ingrained piece of their culture of community and fellowship which often is lost amongst US culture. That is to say, even if an individual is against this policy for a variety of reasons, that sense of communal assistance is still ingrained.
In doing this exercise, it gives me a tool and sort of worksheet to prepare myself to enter another’s culture by looking at my own. This allows me to have, at first, an unbiased look at what’s at hand, followed by an analysis of my own opinion, followed by questioning that leads me to “how did we get here,” which will be pivotal in visiting and experiencing another culture so different to my own. Thus giving me a way to navigate the new setting as well as appreciate it in new unfound ways.