Quote: (08-16-2018 08:06 PM)stefpdt Wrote:
Americans are very "disconnected" from one another aside from tight-knit social groups. I think that social isolation is a serious problem for many millions of people.
Think about how many housewives (or divorcees) sit in large empty suburban homes all day watching TV while spaced out on pharmaceutical drugs.
Most American men also lack a purpose or mission in life...so it's difficult for households to have any aspirations worth fighting for.
I'm naturally a very optimistic person so I don't really like to dwell on the negative too much, but I have to admit that America has a very confusing vibe nowadays. There's no cohesiveness or central goal.
All I can say is thank God that Trump has given us a "mini golden age" which gave some sliver of hope to millions of Americans out there.
The best remedy that I've found is opening a business with a greater mission or purpose that actually helps other people. This is really fucking hard to maneuver, but if you can pull it off, you can actually live in America and wake up happy with some amount of meaning and direction in your life.
This post reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend who was teaching English in China. He observed when two German teachers from his school met for the first time, and being the only Germans there, they instantly connected and became friends for the duration of their time there. Similarly with Russians, Italians, English.
He compared that to his meeting with another American. There was nothing, no connection, just polite formality. Simply being a fellow countrymen wasn't enough to form a friendship in a foreign land - if you were American, that is.