IMHO American society displays cultish-like behavior

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So to sum it up in one sentence: You are responsible! You are responsible for everything that happens in your life. For everything you are happy with and everything you are not happy with. You simply must accept the fact, that everything that is around you right now is the direct effect of who you are, of who you were to that very moment.

I don't think it's necessarily that the tenet's themselves that are wrong, or bad.

The real problem is that no tenets work all of the time for all of the people, in reality.

I never stated or implied this whatsoever. Others make the claim that the tenets are 100% correct. The tenets do have some truth to them but they do not cover the full scope. To me, self-responsiblility, internal locus of control and others are true but only to certain extents. From my observations, these tenets are treated as though they are absolute in nature when they are not. Sometimes external entities can cause misfortune and bad circumstances for people. Those who believe in self-responsibility believe in it 100% and deny external causes.

I agree. No, they do not. From my observations, I see a lack of balance and perspective in American society. The other side of the coin is never considered.

I don't think it's necessarily that the tenet's themselves that are wrong, or bad. The real problem is that no tenets work all of the time for all of the people, in reality.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Even though I'm not a religious person or a huge fan of 12-step programs, I think this little prayer is the only truly meaningful way to approach life...

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Internal-locus of control seems to come from hindsight bias while external-locus comes from a future-extrapolation bias. When people experience success or overcome some obstacle it's natural to want to take too much credit and forget about the little instances of good fortune you had. When people experience repeated failure it's natural to have an external bias if the only alternative is to blame oneself, but an external bias can make a person blind to future possibilities.

Eat hamburgers enjoy baseball buy American.....Lol I don't do any of this often I'm the black sheep of the flock.I choose to buy foreign unless its cook wear or junkfood.

Eat hamburgers enjoy baseball buy American.....Lol I don't do any of this often I'm the black sheep of the flock.I choose to buy foreign unless its cook wear or junkfood.

Foreign junk food is awesome.

Big difference: there are at least two major factions in American society, and disagreement is encouraged. Not so in cults... read all of the Orange papers before you judge. There's a difference between cult and society, and the entire point of the orange papers is to distinguish between the two.

Now, America may be a country founded on great ideals and principles about democracy and freedom. But the way people actually live in America is quite different. Most people spend most of their time in cars, houses, and corporate buildings. They have no time or interest in cultivating their soul or intellect. And the few who do cultivate their souls or intellect are seen as geeky and nonconformist by the majority of adherents to the system.



When our society constantly perpetuates excess consumption and material desires with hype, our general focus becomes on the outward rather than the inward. People are judged based on what they have, which creates their status. As a result, we lose touch with our inner selves, have no true self-confidence/self-esteem, and therefore have fragile egos dependent on outer things and material possessions. It’s no wonder then that in general, I notice that people abroad have richer and refined inner lives than Americans.

Another Russian immigrant observed the effect that our consumerist culture has on people:

“One thing I notice is that Americans, in general, are very narrow-minded people, who are absolutely not interested or curious about anything more mind stimulating than stupid soap operas and some dumb idol/reality shows... that is why very often they come off as being too anti-social. It's not that they are stuck up or conceited, its just very hard to engage anyone in anything interesting. And most of them, i find, are the ones who actually have a low self esteem, so as a cover up, they may come off as arrogant and anti-social....

I thought, the Soviet people were brainwashed. Now I am convinced that every big empire brainwashes its people. There is no other way around.”

Another Asian intellectual who moved to Europe had this to say about why he left the US:



“The reason I left the U.S. was because I found it to be a profoundly depressing and soulless existence living in North America. I hate life in U.S. suburbs the most. Cookie-cutter houses. Endless strip malls filled with the same stores (Blockbuster, McDonalds, etc). Having to drive EVERYWHERE. Spending every night watching television or DVDs in my big, isolated house. Weekends with nothing to do but go shopping at the mall. Like many people, I always felt half-dead whenever I spent significant periods of time in the U.S. I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized it. It was American culture. It was the American media. To put it bluntly, American culture is a ghetto culture that values flash over substance, superficial consumerism over spiritual growth. It's a culture that has an invisible racial hierarchy that places Asian men at the bottom and is obsessed with all things white or black American. It's a country that is built for doing business, not living life.

Anyhow, I've lived in many places during my life. And as we all know, each place has its good bits and its bad bits.

I've now learned to take the best bits of the U.S. (namely, service and business) and transfer it to my life abroad.”

1. I'm not talking about politics. I'm talking about the culture and about certain inherent beliefs that a good chunk of people have like positivity and positive attitude. Both factions accept this tenet hook, line, and sinker for the most part.
2. Why can't a whole society be a cult and behave in a cult-like way?

http://www.happierabroad.com/ebook/Page30.htm
http://www.happierabroad.com/ebook/Page32.htm

I think American society displays cult like behavior


http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cult_q0.html

The first `criteria stated in the orange papers is The Guru is always right. What are America's core beliefs, values and standards? They are as follows.

1. self-reliance
2. style over substance
3. excellent work ethic
4. self-responsibility
5. positiive attitude.
6. group think
7. internal locus of control
This is coming from my experience both in the real world and online including wrongplanet. Are these tenets ever open to question and challenge? Are they open to critical thought whatsoever by our society? It is my experience that American society and its people with exception does not accept challenge to these tenets at all.

From my experience, I'm attacked with the standards themselves instead of having a real discussion. This includes the workplace as well.It is been my experience that when I try to discuss the idea and the concept of these tenets I am shut down, blocked, cursed at or ignored.

I look at what this person says on his article at http://www.myrkothum.com/responsibility-in-life/

He says in one of his paragraphs



My questions is how does this person derive this as so? How is it logically possible and morally rightous to make someone responsible for their own life 100% of the time for 100% of their entire life if one does not have access to all of the possibilities that could happen? Wouldn't one have to be able to access and have control of time and space itself? It makes no sense at all. I have asked various people questions such as this and with exception I receive similar results. I am cursed at or ignored. It is rare that I receive a logical and coherent answer.

One conservative man gave a logical, coherent and a well thought out answer to why he sees entitlements as a form of slavery. He was open to question and challenge. This is a rarity. I do see holes in what he says but I was impressed by the substance of what he says. Is the workplace ever wrong in its core tenets, beliefs, standards and values? For this, the answer is "The boss is never wrong." Are these tenets and the beliefs about them every wrong or ever open to question at the workplace itself and in mainstream society? Why is it always unacceptable to blame one's circumstances on external entitities like society, people, events, animals, etc? What is the inherent reasoning? If it is always unacceptable to blame external entities then does that mean that society is never to be questioned, society is always right and I'm always wrong? If this is so, then then is America a cult?

It is my opinion that America's tenets, concepts, standards, and values are only one part of the bigger picture. To me, when people do this and accept the self-responsibility tenet as 100% absolute and ironclad then they're making The fundamental Attribution Error. http://216.22.10.76/wiki/The_Fundamenta ... tion_Error

In number 6 it is claimed that we're an individualistic culture. From my experience and observations I don't see this as true. I see this as a comformist culture. If one complains about his currect state of existence others will gang up on him and say he is irresponsible, he brought it on himself. One is supposed to do this as part of the social veener.

It is said that one must be true to himself and this is promoted in America as so but when I observe this is not so. One is never supposed to call this out whatsoever. One is never to challenge or question this contradiction and the many other contradictions that exist in America today.

America is not about free thought. It is about comformity, capitulation and control with pretense and lip service towards freedom and free thought. One is supposed to promote that America is the greatest and the freest or say nothing. What is said differs from reality though by my observations and personal experience. 1984 and big brother are here.

Number 27 says that You Can't Tell The Truth. This is so true. I'm always having to censor myself. I am afraid of people's ridicule for what I see and observe. If I state what I observe in front street what do you all will think will happen?

Number 25 mentions Deceptive Recruiting. A lot of people come here every year. America is promoted and open, friendly and expressive like Winston Wu says here at http://blog.happierabroad.com/2010/06/t ... -open.html
(A good chunk of the things he says is true. I can comfirm it by my own observations.)

His friend and cultural advisor is so right. If we are so free and have so much freedom as it is promoted to the rest of the world then why do we have so many rules on the books and why do we have so many social rules and nueances as well? Are immigrants being told one thing but it is really the opposite. This is what I observe.