Values

America is a very unique and different place compared to others. We do everything differently I feel like. Whether it's how we think, what we eat, how we dress, or how we talk, it's all more or less different than other places. Kohl's "Values Americans Live By", is a great reading that explains American culture. In my own life, I can definitely see Competition vs. Cooperation, Action/work vs. “Being”, and Self-Help/initiative/freedom vs. Birthright/inheritance completely active today. Americans and students who attend SHS know that competition is always a factor. There's always somebody that you are sizing up to in order to get what they have and beyond it. Specifically with academics in SHS and applying for colleges. This competitiveness in America contrasts with cooperation which is common in other cultures. A lot of other cultures place emphasis on cooperation in place of competition because it creates a group-focused environment where everyone's aiming for the same goal. This goes along with the self-help and initiative idea in America. We are very independent people and try to get things done ASAP and think we have the right to just about anything. In other cultures theres's the birthright and inheritance idea that you have certain rights applied to you when you were born, and you can inherit others as you grow. Americans are also always on the move and have a hard time focusing on living in the moment, which relates to Action/work vs. "Being". This also ties with the assignment of "Nothing" we were assigned, I think it's going to be a great challenge and an interesting experience because it's so out of the norm to stop and literally do nothing.