American Values & What Not

The nation as a whole is composed of various ethnicities and cultures yet America has a distinct nature and connotation associated with its individuals. When referring to Americans, the first words that may come to mind are “individualistic,” or “self-centered,” which are both entirely accurate and a distinction that shouldn’t be frowned upon by fellow Americans as that is just simply what the country was raised with. We, as Americans, are inherently individualistic people, a characteristic that was simply meant to be. In Gary Athen’s chapter entitled "American Values and Assumptions," from American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States, different American values are elaborated upon and presented in such a way that explains American behavior. Specifically, Athens discusses values including individualism and time, both of which I can relate to my own life and realize how they have exerted influence.

Athens presents individualism as his first value and goes into depth about Americans devotion to individualism. He uses the example of a mother and child where the mother has allowed the child complete control over the use of his money, a concept that normal and applicable to most Americans. When referring to the reasoning behind American parents decision to allow their children to have control over their financial destiny, Athens writes: “She is getting her son ready for a world in which he will be responsible for his choices and their consequences,” emphasizing how parents raise their children to be individualistic from the very start, training their children to be independent and make decisions for themselves. I can relate this sense of individualism to my childhood, as I was always allowed complete control over how I spent the money my parents gave me and they continually reinforced the idea of responsibility and independence to my brother and I. For instance, I opened my first savings account before I could even fully comprehend what the purpose of a bank was, at the request of my parents of course. The feeling of independence and freedom I got being in control over my finances allowed me to realize the importance of being individualistic: it allows you to retain a sense of control over your life and understand that your fate is entirely up to you.

Another value conveyed in the chapter focused on time and its importance in the country. One of the concepts mentioned how Americans can be like machines when it comes to time: “In their efforts to use time wisely, Americans are sometimes seen by foreign visitors as automatons, unhuman creatures who are so tied to their clocks, their schedules, and their daily planners that they cannot participate in or enjoy the human interactions that are the truly important things in life,” depicting how consumed Americans are by their schedules and lives that they may come off as antisocial towards face-to-face interaction. This book was written in 2003, so the full effect of Americans being consumed by their own lives is more apparent in modern day, with most of the country being obsessed with their phones. The value of time and the obsession with being concerned with one’s life is applicable as I often find myself checking my phone throughout the day quite an unhealthy amount, I go through texts, different social media platforms, and sometimes I don’t even have a purpose in looking at my phone it’s just become a natural reflex for me. I believe Americans and myself are so concerned with time and what’s going on due to our inner desire to be a part of something, and to want to gain the most out of the time we’re given.

Overall, Athens highlighted some very distinct features of American culture that can account for why Americans behave in the manner that they do. The significance of individualism and time is present within American society and will continue to remain central to lives of individuals as we are innately self-oriented beings.