Winston wrote:Have any of you noticed that despite the clean streets and air around you in America, that it has a depressing, empty and meaningless vibe that deflates you? It's like something creates an angst in you that makes you feel like you are worthless and life is meaningless. You ever notice that?
Something in the environment and people seems to create it, or perhaps it's due to some vortex from the consciousness of the land. I'm sure that the soulless dull bland non-creative architecture of the suburbs plays a role in this too.
It's a double whammy when combined with the feeling of disconnectedness inherent in the social atmosphere and environment around you. What's worse, there is an aura of FEAR and PARANOIA in the masses around you as well. It's a very sick, depressing and sad environment for sure.
Immigrants who come to America must feel conflicted: On the one hand they appreciate the comforts, clean streets and air, and consumer choices in America. But on the other, they feel this inherent emptiness, soullessness and social disconnectedness, as well as this depressing deflating vibe that tells them that life is meaningless and worthless. Yet in spite of this, they must act positive all the time or else pretend to be. This must be confusing and causes them to wonder if it's all worth it or not, especially when they realize that life in America isn't as great as they imagined.
On top of that, internal suffering is magnified in America because:
1) You live in a perpetual state of wanting, needing and dissatisfaction.
2) The society around you keeps pushing you to overwork and overconsume, as if that's all that matters and all you're good for. Work more, consume more! Don't stop! It's good for the economy, blah blah.
I know this is true to an extent everywhere, but it's magnified to the extreme in America. And coupled with the inherent sense of isolation, disconnectedness and the depressing/deflating vibe, makes it all the more worse.
Any of you notice all this? It's one of those things you feel deep down but isn't easy to put into words, especially when no one else dares to openly say such things, as there is a loser stigma attached to it. Instead, you are expected to put up a facade and deny your suffering.
Excellent analysis Winston. Personally, I don't feel that America is all that depressing unless you're unfortunate to be poor and are forced to live in a very bad neighborhood.
The problem for me is that America is a very divisive country where people are openly hostile, unfriendly, cold hearted and rancorous at every direction you turn. You have no choice but to keep to yourself, keep your guard up, and keep a low profile all at the same time to preserve your sanity.
All this open hostility and divisiveness I believe starts from the Government along with all the corporations who create an environment that forces people to compete with each other to an unhealthy degree. The system is set up to where my gain is always your loss, and my loss is always somebody else's gain. That kind of system is unfair to everybody except the corporations and the Government who make out like bandits.
But just to show you how divisive America is, I compiled a short list of what I can think that all the things people argue and even find a reason to hate another person about.
• Coke vs. Pepsi
• Chevy vs. Ford
• American cars vs. Import cars
• All the racial warfare
• Democrats vs. Republicans
• All the fighting over which sports team is better
• All the various class warfare
• All the fighting over whose high school or college is better
• All the fighting over whose fraternity is better
• Religious people vs. Non religious people
• Married couples vs. Singles
• People with children vs. Childfree
• Bodybuilders vs. Powerlifters
• Heterosexual vs. Homosexual
• All the American street gang warfare which is too much to even list