I'm a special sort of American--a South Carolinian. So Michael tells me...we have that stubborn, top dog mentality that demands independence and gets scrappy at any perceived slight. Maybe it's true--almost like the extreme version of the typical American.
I read an editorial recently that I took offense to--it was about the lack of self-abasement, of humbleness, in our youth. They perceive themselves as likeable and smart--far more so than their Asian counterparts. The article insisted that it would be better for us to see ourselves as no better than anyone else--to be HUMBLE.
You know, there is an element of that that I agree with. As a child, I was immensely offended by politicians who touted their own importance--who blatantly insulted their competitors and said proudly, "I'm the best man for the job!" What poor, poor behavior, I thought. I still believe that. I would be far more likely to support a candidate who showed grace and goodwill and a bit of, well, dignity--and I don't understand why that sort of tasteless behavior is continually rewarded by our citizens.
However, I suppose I see that as falling into the realm of Etiquette. Sure, perhaps you might believe you're the best man for the job, but you don't SAY that. It's just tacky. Maybe you do believe or at least hope you're the smartest and the best-looking--but you don't SAY you're better-looking than so-and-so.
In fact, I suppose that I see it as a bit unhealthy to really perceive yourself as NOT special. I hope you have the taste and class not to brag about your superiority, but do we honestly hope our children don't believe they're special? They're just one of faceless millions? THAT'S the ideal? I find it a quite depressing thought. Why bother with much of anything, beyond public works projects and general communist agendas?
From this perspective, scholars and artists are particularly vain and pointless, aren't they? Any particularly successful person needs to be pulled down to level, don't they?
I do realize that I'm a rather extreme form of the already extreme--not just an American, but a South Carolinian American. Self-dignity abounds, deserved or not. Perhaps it's just because I have a long ancestral heritage in South Carolina, but I can't imagine wanting to be raised any other way. Unless you're a government representative looking for pawns to follow commands, why would you want your citizens to be self-abasing, truly believing their thoughts and opinions are not all that important?
I can see where it's useful when viewing the society as a whole, but I also see that as the root of atrocities. SS soldiers took commands from their superiors, without valuing their own moralities as they should have. We trust our leaders as 'wise' and therefore unconditionally condone their cruelties and aggressive actions--ascribing our group mentality as 'loyalty' and 'patriotism'. Our families eat meat from inhumane factory farms? Then so do we!
Yes, this behavior definitely is a boon to the system. Talk about keeping things operating smoothly, without a bump or glitch in the system.
On the other hand, we South Carolinians have potholes every which way, so to speak. Church congregations split up faster than you can say the Lord's Prayer. Families don't speak. Feuds and Grudges are too often unfortunately eternal. So, yeah, us self-important folk are a pain.
I regard myself as a bit of an anomaly, though, in that, while I retain the fiercely independent perspective of the South Carolinian, I don't share the common political perspective. How is it that such independent thinkers did allow slavery? Are so conservative and Republican, 'patriotic and loyal', judgmental Bible thumpers?
I suppose I'd say that, like South Carolinians, I retain that belief in 'Specialness', but perhaps that doesn't translate to 'Selfishness'. While I am, by nature, like most folks, a 'selfish' being, I think I do realize this and aspire to recognize the dignity and worth of other people, and even other creatures. Too often, I think folks have such insecurity that they feel the need to tear down others, to prove how 'unspecial' everyone else is. To my mind, we should aspire to feel as secure as we can in our own 'specialness' so that we can expand beyond that, so that we can honor the specialness in everyone--in all creatures. No (sigh), that's not a South Carolinian belief, in particular, but I do attribute my willingness to be different, to tackle my goals, to confront, well, everything, in part to being a scrappy South Carolinian. Feeling special apparently does not translate to being moral, but to become Ghandi or Mother Theresa or anyone who works for the rights of others, for moral causes, inherently requires a belief in your own 'specialness', your own ability to achieve in the first place, right? I've noticed that many celebrities become active in causes with time--even our more outrageous celebrities--and I think that part of this comes as a result of their realization of their own self-importance. They feel as though they can effect a change. Yes, perhaps they've earned this right more than each of our scrappy little South Carolinians, but I do think that feeling of specialness is core to being able to achieve, to effect change.
Hmm...you know, I suppose that, ironically, it takes a belief in yourself, in your own thoughts, in order to even enter the space where you are able to question the moralities of your society. Therefore, you must have a belief in your 'specialness' in order to even consider the sacredness, the specialness of other humans, of other creatures who are currently being misused by our society. You also, I must say, have to step beyond 'selfishness' to address these issues, as they are generally being misused because we benefit from it in some way. Do we want to repress democracy in the MidEast in hopes of keeping our gas prices low? Do we ignore animal welfare because steak for dinner sounds fantastic? Especially cheap steak? Do we buy cheap coffee as opposed to the more expensive 'fair trade' coffee?
I'm not saying that anyone is perfect. I'm not perfect. My family members are not perfect. South Carolinians, by golly, are far from perfect. But we are special, and I encourage everyone to identify and honor those traits that make us uniquely special. It doesn't make anyone any more special to tear anyone else down. Feeling special is part and parcel of innovative progress. The other element of progress, Cooperation, is another discussion perhaps best addressed by a non-South Carolinian ;).
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