Eight American Cultural Traits

Last edited September, 2007.

Back to America Defined index

All available topics: education America defined economics American thorns

America is different politically and economically from virtually all other existing states. It can also be argued that Americans possess a unique cultural identity which transcends all divisions within our own ethnic, racial, religious, political, philosophical and other factions. The reference to culture here is not made in the Hollywood-Madison Avenue popculture sense, but rather in the sense of character and personality traits that Americans share as a group. More than simply an American exceptionalism, either, the American culture referenced here is a product of our historical origin and possibly even our genetics. We really are a nation of immigrants who, from colonial times to the present day, took extraordinary personal risks and were willing to pay the ultimate human price for liberty and for new opportunity. Such explorers, voyagers, and adventurers shared a set of common personality traits no matter what the circumstances of their previous life. Whether 17th century religious refugees from Europe, roaming settlers in the American West, freed American slaves making their way North, Mexican or Cuban immigrants in the present day, or any of the thousand other stories in-between, successful new Americans have shared a set of remarkably common qualities. Is it not evident that these common qualities would be passed down to new generations by example or even by genes? The premise put forth in this writing is that there is a set of common American traits outside of our politico-economic structures, but eminently compatible with the same, which make our nation more robust than it otherwise would be. This set of cultural traits is nearly universal across an unbelievably diverse population, many of which who would disagree with each other in almost every other respect. This set of traits has been passed down, at least to some degree, to succeeding generations. Our American cultural personality can be considered the high-octane fuel for the capitalist and democratic engine powering our national being. Such an engine may run satisfactorily on a lower octane fuel, but it is the high-test American culture

that allows us to really open up the throttle. Therefore, it is well worth identifying and protecting this fuel from contamination or dilution so as to preserve the performance of our engine. Let us examine eight American cultural traits that should be common to and valued by us all. 1: Independence. Americans are individuals at heart. We are self-defined and self-made. We do not take kindly to others foisting their views or their will on us and we do not wish to be characterized by others as something we are not. From the beginning, the "live free or die" attitude has been one fundamental basis of our culture. This is easily understandable, given that most immigrants came to America or moved to another section of America for the expressed purpose of escaping some form of persecution or dominance by others. The trait of personal independence has helped us avoid the sameness of thought and belief in our citizens historically found elsewhere in the world and it has helped to protect our political system from early demise. Even in our governmental structure, the importance of local and state politics is an indication of the priority we place on individual control and "home rule." In our local schools, in our local land use laws, and in our unique local customs we have historically rejected a federal or national influence. As a result, our individuality is allowed to blossom because we choose to live in local areas compatible with our unique outlook. Today the cultural trait of independence is largely intact, but it does need defense against modern attacks. Moral relativism, "diversity" tolerance campaigns that often lump people together by stereotype or race, and certain religious factions that promote cookie-cutter thinking among their flock all pose a real danger to this cultural footing. Very popular today, even in official capacities such as public education, is the idea that one's personal identity should be tied to ancestry or race. For example, schools promote "black history month" and in many cases foster the idea that great accomplishments of a group's ancestors somehow make a member of that group's future generation great too. This is counter to the American principal that each individual be judged on his or her own accomplishments. A similar issue can be found in

current conservative religious organizations which dictate that members must follow a particular political script. Individuality is again lost to a kind of group-think. As new immigrants compose a lower and lower percentage of our population, we must be wary to keep independence as a hallmark of our culture. Without the new blood to infuse our culture with energy, we must hold high the independent thinkers and iconoclasts in our history and in our daily lives so that our children read the message loud and clear. 2: Hard work. Americans have never been afraid of hard work. From colonial era farms to "Charlie Hustle" on modern little league baseball fields, Americans have valued the idea that working intensely pays off in spades. That is true on an individual basis and collectively. From the beginning, laziness was the ultimate American sin punishable by hunger, low pay, personal failure and a deserved lack of public esteem. Hard work, in fact, was its own reward. American farms and factories were no place for slackers, nor were ships and railroads, nor was the military. When the going got tough, the tough got going. Even collectively, we took pride in hard work, with World War II being the ultimate historical example. GI Joe and Rosie the Riveter both rolled up their sleeves, got their hands dirty, and got the job done in record time. After the war, Americans continued on with the collective hard work applied to highways, houses and babies. Personal wealth and satisfaction has historically been tied in the American mind to hard work. Today, though, hard workthe really tough stuff sometimes seems a quaint relic to many in the current generation. Two dangerous counter-culture threads appear in large part to be the cause. One, started early in the twentieth century, is related to a sort of labor union "mentality" which can be summed up with the phrase: "what have you done for me lately?" Instead of the idea that hard work now will eventually pay off later, this growing cultural trend suggests that work should not even be initiated until generous rewards are secured for the eventual effort. It is not limited to the union workplace either, as white-collar workers, knowledge workers, and even school children have

latched on to the same idea. Young children are often subjected to token reward systems in public school classrooms, which stifle the intrinsic value of hard work The second thread appears to have started with parents in the late 1950s, the 1960s and the 1970s who wanted to give their children the things they didn't have and to spare their children the tough choices they felt that they faced. Essentially, mothers and fathers who wanted to be friends with their childreninstead of parentsspoiled a few generations. This cultural thread continues to grow too. We must resist these two threats to the culture of hard work that made America strong through two centuries. 3: Inventiveness. American inventiveness is the stuff of legend. From our earliest history when necessity was the mother of invention, to the periods of depression when citizens had to "make do", to periods of war when new technologies were fabricated on the spot, to periods of boom when new money was reinvested to make new discoveries, we have a solid history of advancement. The inventiveness is not limited to technology either, as illustrated by our unique political system, our medical leadership, even our distinctively American form of music: jazz. Historically we have had a cultural proclivity of one-upmanship in our work and in our individual lives. It is the American competition to make things better, stronger, faster and cheaper. We want, we invent. Fortunately, the fundamental American cultural trait for inventiveness appears to be alive and well in modern times. We continue to invent new technologies, new systems, and new means of human interaction at a pace that defies comprehension by a single person. Perhaps the biggest danger to American ingenuity is the current push to federalize the public school system. As federal and even state mandates and standards push out local content in schools, future generations will not benefit from an individualized education based on local sensibilities. Just as every shopping mall in "Generica" starts to look the same, so will graduating students nationally. Inventiveness, though, depends on being able to see circumstances in a different light, based on different experience.

4. Personal ambition. Every immigrant to step into this country and every citizen that ever picked up and moved to another area of our country did so based on personal ambition. Our Constitution created the land of opportunity, our capitalist system rewards personal ambition in that land. Our culture, naturally, has been molded by the idea that Americans can and should fulfill their personal desires and that they should pursue them vigorously. Individual happiness and the pursuit of dreams is at the core of our being. Today, personal ambition thrives in our culture, although it sometimes has a dark side. Historically this cultural trait meant that individuals pursued their dreams with every ounce of their energy but did so in an honest way. That is to say, it did not cause them to seek fortunes, happiness or glory at the expense of others. Personal ambition was a fire in the belly that drove individuals to work hard, to invent, and to take risks, but not to exploit others in order to advance on their goals. We must take back this cultural trait from those today who lie, cheat, steal, and abuse others in the name of ambition. The dark side today is due partly to a business culture that went awry, partly to a twisted popular culture emanating from Hollywood, sports franshises and from urban street culture, and even partly from the 60's new left counter-culture that left a mark on succeeding generations. Personal ambition, coupled with ethical behavior, is fundamental to the American way. 5. Risk-taking. Americans have never been afraid to put it all on the line to reach a goal. From the beginning we pledged our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor to get the job done. We revolted against powers stronger than ourselves, we moved west into a great unknown, we even split ourselves briefly in two to resolve a single terrible issue called slavery. Numerous popular stories of individuals taking huge personal risk in order to pursue an idea, an invention or a business are legendary. Risks taken by individuals and by our entire nation have been the precursor for each following success. In modern times our risk-taking culture has continued unabated. Today Americans continue to risk their lives, their fortunes and their honor for the sake of ideas, for the sake of happiness and wealth, for the

sake of love and security. Our sons and daughters are stationed in harm's way all around the world and our businessmen and women venture huge monetary sums across businesses and borders. Even our national obsession with sports competition reflects a fascination with risks as played out on a ball field. This cultural trait is in no danger. 6. Commitment. Perhaps more accurately described as stubbornness, Americans have historically had a certain dedication or "stick-to-it" attitude for our enterprises and ideas. This was a handy thing indeed for early settlers who faced overwhelming odds, or for military commanders throughout our history who needed commitment that bordered on insanity. George Washington in his leadership of a rag-tag army is a good example. The so-called "captains of industry" in the late 1800s exhibited commitment as did famous inventors such as Thomas Edison or the Wright brothers. Such American stubbornness is of mythical proportions. Even today, could the Cuban exile community in Florida be described as anything but stubborn? This American cultural trait appears to be in good health today, even if some of our modern stubbornness veers toward stupidity. Nonetheless, it is well worth preserving this heritage. 7. Skepticism. For a country with a "show me" state, it should be no surprise that Americans in general have always exhibited a healthy skepticism. While such an attitude has sometimes thrown hurdles in front of progress, it has also helped to keep progress honest. Americans laughed at the "horseless carriage" and other new technologies, but such skepticism also forced inventors to consider the most efficient means of turning a novelty into an imperative. American skepticism in the realms of industry, finance, medicine, politics and more has been a useful force that separates the wheat from the chaff. In the modern era, President Reagan's famous "trust but verify" line is a perfect embodiment of this American cultural trait. We appear to have retained our beneficial reservations about all that is new or improved. 8. Honesty. For much of our history at least, a man's handshake was as good as his word.

Americans were intellectually honest, contractually honest, and personally honest. We have passed down maxims and phrases such as "honesty is the best policy", or "an honest day's pay for an honest day's work" for generations. The old myth of George Washington and his cherry tree can be no better an example of our historical obsession with honesty. For most of our history Americans expected and generally got the truth, the fair shake, and the honorable way. Sometime during the late twentieth century this cultural trait faltered. It is not fair, of course, to paint all Americans as dishonest because of a few bad apples. A small number of politicians or Wall Street traders going rotten does not mean America is now a land of scheming demons. However, what has changed is the expectation that honesty will prevail. It can be argued that Americans are now cynical to a degree that it is hurting our progress. Honesty as a cultural trait is long gone; it is replaced now by an unvarying sense of suspicion. So, then, what of these eight cultural traits today? Is it really important that independence, hard work, inventiveness, personal ambition, risk-taking, commitment, skepticism, and honesty by modern Americans be reinforced and reinvigorated? It could be argued that, due precisely to these cultural traits, America has historically out produced other capitalistic and democratic states. The American competitive drive, for example, can be explained as the combination of independence, personal ambition, risk-taking and commitment. Our unique cultural identity has helped propel our nation as the single biggest force for peace and prosperity in the world. More than just our political system, our philosophy, or our economic structures, our culture has made the American engine the most powerful in history. We must ensure that this fuel remains pure. *** Copyright 2004-2007 rationalamerican.com *** To cite this article: Painter, John. Eight American Cultural Traits. (September 2007). Retrieved month x, 2xxx, from <http://rationalamerican.com/defined>

 Copyright 2003-2007 rationalamerican.com. All rights reserved.

Front Page SPENGLER What is American culture? How do Americans look at the world? Is there a characteristic American way of thinking, an American culture? Through what filter does information reach their brain, and by what mechanism do they respond to it? Last week's essay (Why America is losing the intelligence war) blamed deepseated characteristics of American culture for the failure of American intelligence. That begs the question of whether American culture can be characterized in any general way (apart from the well-worn bon mot that American culture is an oxymoron). Writing of English culture, the poet and critic T S Eliot famously described it as follows: "The reader must remind himself as the author has constantly to do, of how much is here embraced by the term culture. It includes all the characteristic activities and interests of a people: Derby Day, Henley Regatta, Cowes, the twelfth of August [the start of the grouse shooting season], a cup final, the dog races, the pin table, the dart board, Wensleydale cheese, boiled cabbage cut into sections, beetroot in vinegar, 19th century Gothic churches and the music of Elgar." After the fashion of Eliot, I have complied my own list of

Nov 18, 2003

Search Asia Times

Why America is losing the intelligence war

(Nov 11, '03)

Advanced Search

characteristic features of American culture. 1. Driving slowly in the fast lane. Americans consider it their privilege to amble along in the fast (left-hand) lane, while swifter drivers overtake in the near-side lane (for which European policemen would arrest them straightaway). Clumps of slower drivers impede traffic and set the stage for pileups. This is the sad result of misguided egalitarianism. Americans believe that they should be able to drive wherever they wish, whereas class privilege rules the road in Europe. Faster cars belong in the fast lane and nudge slowermoving vehicles out of the way. 2. Burnt coffee at exorbitant prices. The most popular cafe chain, whose name decent people do not pronounce, burns its coffee beans to produce what Americans mistakenly believe is an authentic European taste. Proper coffee, by which of course I mean Italian coffee, is bittersweet, not burned. Americans evidently hate the wretched stuff because they drown its flavor in a flood of milk, in the so-called "latte", something I never have observed an Italian request during many years of travel in that country. By contrast, Italians drink cappuccino, mixing a small amount of milk into the coffee and leaving a cap of foam. If Americans do not like it, why do they buy it at exorbitant prices? They do so precisely because the high price makes it a luxury, but an affordable one for secretaries and shopgirls. 3. Dishwater masquerading as tea. Order tea from an American, and you will receive a cup of lukewarm water and a tea-bag. No beverage on earth is more revolting than this. This and the previous item bring to mind a riposte attributed to Abraham Lincoln: "Waiter, if this is coffee, then bring me tea. But if this is tea, then bring me coffee." 4. Wood-flavored wine. Americans know as little about wine as they do about coffee. California winemakers throw oak chips into vats of fermenting chardonnay in order to simulate the effect of aging in oak barrels. That is true only for the cheaper wines, but the dearer ones taste just as woody. The American idea of a "big wine" is to suffuse cabernet sauvignon (properly used to produce a delicate wine) with the taste of oak. At best, American wines offer a soporific sort of smoothness, but never achieve the quirkiness, eccentricity and character which make European vineyards an enchanted realm. 5. Shopping-mall architecture. Most middle-sized American cities have disappeared into a suburban morass, while shopping malls have replaced the old town centers.

Americans in most parts of the US have no other place to congregate. Even churches are relocating to shopping malls in order to accommodate the habits of their congregations. Unlike European cities (and older American ones) the public aspect of cities is entirely absent: churches, public buildings, monuments and so forth. The omnipresence of purely commercial architecture depresses the mind; Europeans accustomed to viewing well-proportioned buildings in their daily perambulations find it difficult to spend more than a day or two in such places. 6. A consensus national restaurant menu (Mexican-Italianseafood-podge). A generation ago, one could be sure of obtaining sawdust sausages, Scotch eggs and pork pies in any British pub (and often a ploughman's lunch with Wensleydale cheese). Today, one can count on finding pizza, tacos, fried shrimp, Caesar salad and cheeseburgers in any American restaurant, as the American melting pot transforms various national cuisines into indistinguishable blobs of grease and dough. Unification of American cuisine is not much of a loss, as the local cuisine was wretched to begin with, but the result is nonetheless disheartening. Antiglobalists have made a target of the purveyors of fast food, but the chains have homogenized other cuisines, such as seafood, Italian, Mexican, steak and so forth. In the place of texture and flavor Americans receive grease and quantity, which helps explain why they are so podgy. 7. Chewing tobacco. What more can one say? Heinrich Heine, the greatest poet of mid-19th century Germany, wrote, "Sometimes I think of emigrating to America, but I am frightened by a country where human beings chew tobacco." 8. Hand-me-down high culture. Not to possess a high culture is no shame; the Pilgrim Fathers of New England rejected Western high culture as they found it in favor of a radical return to ancient Israel. Like Moliere's bourgeois gentleman, the Americans of the 19th century decided that a high culture suited their new respectability. Americans who would not recognize an allegory if it ate them alive by inches, and cannot read a line of Dante Alighieri or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, gush over Herman Melville's confused and overwrought Moby Dick. American scholars who have not heard of the 16th century Lazarillo de Tormes claim that Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is a work of originality. Harold Bloom, the defender of the "Western Canon" against the barbarian hordes of deconstructionism, enthuses over Walt Whitman's onanistic (in the literal sense of the term) excuse for verse. Bloom dismisses the critics of the left as

"resentniks", but is resentment not the other side of the coin of pretension? In any case, these are the embarrassing pretensions of two generations past, the putative classics beloved of American conservatives. University students today are more likely to wade through the works of black and feminist writers as a counterweight to the "elitist" high culture of Melville and Whitman, that is, if they are not occupied with courses on film and comic books. 9. Gullibility. If Americans will buy chardonnay saturated with oak chips to the point of resembling turpentine, burnt coffee disguised by sweet hot milk, chain-restaurant parodies of Italian food, and hand-me-down literary classics, what will they not buy? Itinerant European academics turn up on their shores in emulation of the gypsy Melchiades in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, from Paul de Man on the left to Leo Strauss on the right. Man thinks with his entire being, not with mere abstract powers of ratiocination. Tactile, gustatory, olfactory and sentimental habits bear on our view of the world more than the philosophers we might have read in school. Culture is the glue that holds generations together; paradoxically, American culture makes a virtue of the ephemeral. Americans in consequence cannot imagine the frame of mind of those for whom a cultural connection to the past has become a matter of life and death. This sometimes charming, usually harmless trait of American culture turns into a tragic flaw in the context of America's encounter with Islam. (Copyright 2003 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.)

No material from Asia Times Online may be republished in any form without written permission. Copyright 2003, Asia Times Online, 4305 Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Rd, Central, Hong Kong

Privacy and Legal Policies

Asian Sex Gazette | Asian Sex News Asia