We use statistical information to ascertain if we are at the top of when it comes to quality of living, and statistics can be manipulated to say anything we want them to, it's all in how you present the information.
I have come to look at North America as a people who are often under educated, the educated are often over worked, and people as a whole are generally under appreciated.
Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill
I completely agree when it comes to statistics. Especially in social sciences its highly biased. Something like quality of life is to problematic to determine by statistical values to represent it accordingly. I think statistics is the big enemy of individuality and especially in social sciences it states more about the creator of a certain questionnaire than about the research material.
When it comes to individuality, i think its an overrated system. Especially in the USA. The USA is a country that sells people like brands and the market is full of "how to become famous/pornstar/best wive/most expensive mistress in 10 days" which is a proof that the culture exists in the USA that tries to tell people that everybody can do anything, if they just have the right tools for marketing or whatever. Which speaks strongly against the support of the individualism, because if everyone only needs to access certain tools (personal development, schoolings, a master piano player) to become this or that, then individual talents are underestimated or under"focused" (my english is not so perfect).
The basis of the american dream is that everyone can do everything if you just really work hard. That is strongly against individuality. The truth is that not everybody can do everything no matter how hard you work. Because some people do have innate skills others don`t. And development of skills is always a mix between innate skills and the proper training of these skills.
Do americans have an inflated sense of self at some point and overestimate themselves? I do think so at some point. I do not say that for offending anyone. But USA is the country of show. If you put on the right show and the right facade its what counts. People are skilled to sell themselves as brands. The individual as a marketing nichè sold in cliches and brands.
Just look at our own business - the escorting business. How many "individuals" are really out there? Not so many. Look at all pages made by whatever webdesigner listening whatever statements, you will come to the conclusion no one is ever individual because it states the same everywhere. You see the same kind of "branding" and "advertisement" over and over. There is not so much room for individuality because we are trained to do certain things to access certain codes of conduct and present ourselves in a certain way (aka the "show" factor) to sell ourselves. And present yourself as a good escort or a bad escort or the way even photos are taken, the way your body is shown, which parts are photographed which positions, all the same all certain codes of conducts that do not vary so much from person to person. Individuality is overrated.
Psychology - at least the therapies counters these beliefs and should encourage to be authentic and get more individuals. Most of the times this fails too, and psychotherapy is yet another instrument to cater to downsize individuality and make you adjusted to a mass and a "norm" and a certain code of conduct that would be unbearable to attend to - if we did not have psychotherapists or escorts to help with it.
Not to sound too negative on individuality, it does exist, i t hink we just should not overestimate it and the impact on our culture or the way we cater to it for the culture. This pretending that someone is so "special" as opposed to all the "ordinary" others is not really happening. Comparing one person to the broad mass there are still too many common variables or factors within a certain subgroup (aka the Tiger Woods case - his reaction, his behaviour, his stupid apology - the media`s reaction - the wives reaction - the lovers reaction - completely stereotypical and culturally biased) Take any other marriage with similar happenings and you see the same scenario repeat itself. So - individuality? Hmmm. strange concept :-). I have more and more stopped to believe in it. But i do believe in different social groups. So a Mormon social group is different to an escort social group. But mormons and escorts within themselves? Too similar. in their behaviour, their viewpoints, their code of conduct, their opinions.
So - individuality is overrated. People are actually not BRAVE enough to be individuals. Its too much effort and the costs of efficiency are too high, as has the 68 revolution and its aftermaths already shown. We are - not - all made of stars
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