It's a common, and maybe even popular, notion that we Americans like to think of our country as unique or as somehow different from the rest of the world. We like to hold America above other countries and think that not all of the rules apply to our home sweet home.
I never really thought about this much since it's pretty damn evident, considering America scoffs at the idea that it has to follow any UN policies but then throws a fit when other countries also ignore the rules. But I just can't shake the obvious connection between American exceptionalism and individual exceptionalism.
What I mean to say is more and more everyday I encounter people who seem to think they're somehow different or above the rest of us. I read about people like Curtis Reeves, who believe their time and their life is more valuable than another's and I think, "what the hell is wrong with people?!" And then I immediately follow that thought with, "wait, does that make me sound like I think I'm somehow better or different from them?"
The example our government and representatives set by carrying on with American exceptionalism makes people think it's ok for them to act that way in their everyday lives too. There's no regard or consideration of others. Our sympathy and understanding have been narrowed into such a shallow perspective that we can't see beyond our own hurt feelings or perceived insults.
The problem with all of this is that it's very egocentric. I read that egocentrism can be a natural tendency but when does it become too much? Perhaps when it halts critical thinking?
Since it may be unnatural for us to think critically all the time or even without instruction shouldn't we then work to stop American exceptionalism as it now appears to permeate the individual? Shouldn't we better or further promote intellectual thinking instead of relying on this false, inflated sense of superiority or distinction?
(Remember: this is just my opinion.)
