Is success tied to how well you fit in certain societies?

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ArchibaultNew
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Is success tied to how well you fit in certain societies?

Post by ArchibaultNew »

Hey guys,

This is a recent observation that I've made. I have noticed that every society is very different and financial success does not come from working hard in school or getting a job. For instance, this Chinese guy said Chinese people did better in China than in America since America did not suit their strengths. It seems to succeed in America they would need a very high level of English as well as the strong "soft skills" to mingle with White Americans. Hence, why it seems Indians do better than Chinese in America.

Roosh himself is a perfect example of this. He wanted to be famous in a "positive" way like great American writers like Charles Buwoski and Ernest Hemingway. He had the leadership and persistence to succeed. However, instead of getting the success he wanted he ended up becoming a "Pariah." He was "too weird" for certain sector of the American audience. Roosh might think that this is because of his unique ideas. However, how I see it I think he comes from a very religious household and hence this conflicted with the more "secular" American culture that is present. While other conservative authors might be able to navigate this better, where they are able to present their ideas without becoming too fringe.

Another great example is Americans in Mexico. Having online conversations with expat American community tends to be more insular. They speak English and tend to huddle with other Anglos. While they have some money most of it was money that they already had. Contrast this approach with Spaniards. Spaniards when they move to Mexico they quickly climb up the ranks, its not only the language advantage they have but they also have the "right look/white/light skin" and the "cultural know how" on how to navigate the culture and get the most out of it. For instance, a more "combative" style might work America but not Mexico where it seems diplomacy works better.

PS: I would like to add that it seems that the more "artistic" and "intellectual" type fit better in French society than American society. For example, Patricia Highsmith, Henry Miller and many other American authors found a more welcoming audience in France than in America.
fschmidt
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Re: Is success tied to how well you fit in certain societies?

Post by fschmidt »

I agree. America is well suited for sociopaths. It is hard to be successful in America if one isn't a sociopath. I can't work with Americans at all.
Outcast9428
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Re: Is success tied to how well you fit in certain societies?

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@Mercer and @fschmidt

I do agree that there's a lot more sociopathy in America nowadays. I will mention one caveat though. Blue collar workers in America, on average, seem much nicer, more genuine, more honest, and less sociopathic then white collar workers are. In blue collar work environments, it seems like being good at your job, being consistent, and being friendly towards the other workers is more rewarded. Also, in blue collar work, you can be more honest with your bosses, saying that you are feeling tired after a long day, or telling your boss you have plans to meet with a friend and you don't want to let them down and they are more understanding. Blue collar bosses seem to understand that you have a life outside of work and that you don't intend to make work your life.

White collar work environments, on the other hand, seem absolutely filled with dishonesty. You can't even act human with your boss, you have to act like a drone who dedicates his entire life to work and pretends to be happy working 50+ hour weeks. You can't go into interviews just saying "this is what I can do, and this is the proof that I can do it." Instead you have to give this big presentation on how much you've always wanted this job, how meaningful and fulfilling it will be to you, how it aligns with all of your life goals.

To talk about @Archibault's more broader point though... Different societies definitely value different things more. One thing I really dislike about American culture is how much emphasis is placed on being cool in America. Its like most people in America expect you to be their own private circus monkey. They want you to constantly wow them. This is especially bad when it comes to girls. Its like 90% of American girls expect their boyfriend to be a caricature from a sitcom or something.

America is so obsessed with "coolness" that our culture glorifies seriously immoral people like a lot of rappers and thuggish people in general just because they are cool and entertaining. Asian countries on the other hand tend to value morality and intelligence more. For this reason I do admire Asian societies a lot. I'm not fond of how competitive a lot of them are though.
Archibault
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Re: Is success tied to how well you fit in certain societies?

Post by Archibault »

Hey guys let’s continue this thread. Very good insights so far.
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Lucas88
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Re: Is success tied to how well you fit in certain societies?

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Archibault wrote:
April 29th, 2022, 4:00 am
Hey guys let’s continue this thread. Very good insights so far.
This is a really good topic, Archibault. Our success certainly is tied to how well we fit into the society in which we live. I don't think any experienced and observant nomad would ever deny that.

As some of you already know, my native country is the UK but I've never felt comfortable here at all. Although I've enjoyed some achievements on my own terms I've not been able to thrive socially and have always lived a somewhat empty and disenfranchised existence. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I only truly started to live when I left the UK for the Hispanosphere.

The UK is a culture which places importance on a polished social veneer. Having "quick wit" is essential for social competence. But for somebody who is socially awkward or prefers substance over social veneer as well as the ability to just be oneself as opposed to constantly trying to impress others with fake charm social interactions in the UK are just a stressful burden. For somebody like me it is difficult to get ahead in a culture like this. I've had way better experiences in places like Spain and Mexico where there is more emphasis on substance, self-expression and frankness. Some people think that the British are "clever" because of their wittiness but this couldn't be any further from the truth. In most cases their wittiness is just a well-developed exterior which hides a total lack of substance or actual knowledge. Have you ever noticed how many British people talk profusely and with much verbiage but at the same time say very little in terms of actual content?

The UK is also a culture of strict conformity. I've previously referred to it as a normie society on steroids. If you don't think like everybody else and share the same soulless cookie-cutter values you are labelled as "weird" and subtly ostracized. In fact this can happen over even the most trivial of things. In the UK true individuality isn't tolerated. People who are free-spirited and have a need for unfettered individual expression just don't fit in here. Fortunately in Spain and Latin America I was always able to be myself, to express my sincere thoughts and feelings without being judged, to talk about my less conventional ideas without being ostracized or subjected to ridicule. Why is the UK so conformist? I've read that it is due to the fact that the country since the start of the modern age made industrialism its only goal and therefore valued only productivity and practical pursuits. This narrow utilitarianism of British society required the destruction of individuality so that everybody could become compliant productive drones. I myself as a soulful individual simply cannot function in a society like this.

The UK is also quite anti-intellectual and is probably on par with America in this regard. Outside of the academic elite most people here are total philistines who can only talk about simple mundane things like football, properties, shopping and overpriced holidays (vacations) and are only interested in work, pub culture and popular entertainment. Few people have much intellectual depth beyond that. For an intellectual and artist like myself the UK's social culture is a very barren place. I don't even attempt to socialize anymore since talking to people here is a waste of time. But it's not like this in many other countries. People in Continental Europe are happy to talk about deeper things or can at least hold their own when it comes to educated conversation and so I fit in much better there.

So the UK just isn't for me nor is it appropriate for my pursuit of happiness. Some people have told me that my tendency to hate the UK and avoid British people is irrational and over the top. But the truth is that I just don't know how to act with most of them and just feel uncomfortable as a result. Besides, their annoying whiny language pisses me off. I prefer Spanish or any other more beautiful language any day.
Outcast9428
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Re: Is success tied to how well you fit in certain societies?

Post by Outcast9428 »

Every person I’ve ever met from the UK seemed to hate life there. I’ve known more British people desperate to leave their country then I’ve met from any other country. Although it does seem a lot of Mexicans are leaving their country.
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