I grew up in deeply conservative Tennessee, I studied abroad in socialist Manchester, England, and settled down in also socialist Brooklyn. 😉 I have moved around the political spectrum geographically, and my view of the world has changed along with it. 

This relationship hasn’t been something I’ve talked too much about, so when my friend asked me to write a little bit about what it means to be an American, I got excited about the topic. This is what came out.

Brutal Individualism

America is a country of people who abandoned their previous cultures for a better life. In most countries I’ve traveled to, I’ve seen a shared sense of identity around the nationality and culture. In America, cultural identity is more about the individual and the lack of shared identity. It’s about what the individual can do, their rights, and the freedom to make their meaning.

Our brutal individualism is both enthralling and toxic.

It is used to empower people and to hold people back. Healthcare companies take as much as they can, and it’s our fault for not being able to afford it. Silicon Valley hires top psychologists to suck our minds into our phones, and it’s our fault for being distracted. 

At the same time, we have the best free markets in the world. If you want to take a shot at being a movie star, or billionaire startup founder, this is the place. Nothing is stopping you. 

The average American champions this freedom, but what they often don’t see is that freedom doesn’t happen in a silo, and the freedom to benefit ourselves often comes at the expense of others. 

To be American is to enjoy the freedom of creating your own destiny, while suffering from the freedom of those more powerful than you: the freedom of billionaires to lobby the government into working against its people, and of influencers to say whatever gets the most attention, even if it unjustly incites violence.

No country is perfect, but if you can learn to play the game, and get yourself on top of it, it’s quite a fun place. It’s got interesting people, plastic paradises, beautiful landscapes, and some really entertaining drama. Create your destiny, and enjoy the ride.