From time to time, the term "American Exceptionalism" crosses my path. In many cases, it pops up with my friends and family back in Denmark who are baffled by the way some people from the US get all "Puffed up and Proud" over things that are actually pretty routine and matter-of-fact in many parts of the world.
Just the phrase itself makes me sit back a bit and ponder the strange houses of cards we build around certain buzzwords and concepts.
Dusk yesterday, from our back patio. Vancouver Island in the distance, across the Straits
One of the things I've noticed about "excellence" is that a lot of people seem to dedicate a whole lot more effort to talking about it than to actually implementing it; to practicing it.
And if you stop and look at it from a slightly different angle, most people I know who are truly exceptional in their fields or at whatever they are doing don't even think about or talk about "excellence" because they are far too busy and involved in the process of simply being excellent.
I was raised with the idea of striving for excellence, but seeking accolades and affirmations to be hailed as the "conquering hero" was not part of that paradigm. Wandering around with an air of "look how AWESOME I am!" was considered crass and self-indulgent, even if you truly were awesome.
Now, a number of people like to use the term "American Exceptionalism" in the same context as "excellence," and whereas that might have been true in a historical sense (1800's) it seems to me a dubious assumption to make in this day and age.
Spring here here!
One of the things I've always been very aware of is that being "exceptional" is... well... exceptionally rare. Prancing around like you are King/Queen of the World simply because you got a "Student of the Month" award once does not make anyone much of anything, in and of itself.
An excessive amount of attention paid to excellence has a way of becoming toxically presumptuous, if you're not very careful.
Part of prompted this article was the memory of a discussion I had with my cousin in Denmark, some 10-15 years back, concerning the idea of "American Exceptionalism" as it was trying to unfold as an increasing "Americanization" of Danish culture.
The Buddha and the Bird...
Evidently, the process was not going well, and American company executives were repeatedly dumbfounded by the Danes' general rejection of the idea of a McDonalds or Taco Bell on every corner, working 60 hours a week for huge salaries and putting in lots of mega chain stores so you could use those huge salaries to "buy tons of new shit!".
The "objections" weren't about resistance to change and being backwards thinking, but about a more objective evaluation that the change being offered really wasn't very desirable to anyone, and not particularly "excellent." What's more, a life paradigm centered around maximizing profits wasn't perceived as particularly excellent.
And just for those in the "Peanut Gallery" who are clamoring to point out that Denmark is a "Socialist state" (oh, the sheer HORROR!), that country consistently ranks FAR above the USA in terms of business friendliness. Here, have a list of Most Business Friendly Countries compiled by U.S. News and World Report. Denmark ranks 4th. The US ranks 45th. You're welcome...
More signs of spring!
It also made me ponder US foreign policy over the past 50 years, which has relied heavily on spreading the American VERSION of freedom, democracy and prosperity, often by force.
"We want you to have what WE want you to have, not necessarily what YOU want you to have, we know what's best for YOU!"
Maybe that's taken a bit to the extreme, but it's just an example of that toxically presumptuous language and posturing.
What's my point here? True excellence tends to speak for itself; it is rarely loud and boisterous. As a wise business person once told me: "When you're GREAT, you don't need to tell people. People tell YOU!"
Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
How about YOU? What is YOUR definition of excellence? Are you familiar with the concept of "American Exceptionalism?" What do you think it means? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20210312 14:55 PST
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