Why do people in the USA tend to think of the operation of society in personal terms?

Question

10 points to the most objective, logical answer.. :)

Answer 1

Definitely a lot of factors tie into this. I would say that part could be that US society has turned more egoistic (taken from a Durkheimian idea) than many others and this is especially true in big metro areas. People have fewer ties to other people and, therefore, they have less integration and fewer regulations put onto them by society. Without these ties, it is easy for people to think more in terms of themselves rather than society as a machine that works together. At the same time, the relatively few restrictions placed on business and capitalism may also play a role. (Don't get me wrong... I definitely believe in capitalism, it just may contribute!) Without many restrictions, people have "limitless opportunities and possibilities." Most people believe that with hard work and the right "stuff" they can be the next Bill Gates. Money is a big motivation. Thinking in this way probably encourages many people to focus on themselves. What will I get out of it? How will it help me? (Ex: welfare- why should I pay for them when I can support myself... what good does it do me?) You can see it everywhere. Big businesses fund politicians etc etc etc. Its not always about money, but reciprocity. And living in a way that focuses on individual gain inevitably will cause US society to think in personal terms about many other things.

Answer 2

'to think of the operation of society in personal terms'

Think of humans in general, human essence. Common to all humans in social order is the Idea (operation for freedom, freedom to and freedom from), the beliefs specific to a people that instructs them how to live and act towards each other, the do'es and don'ts, law. The Idea leads the person in the formation for their ego ideal, but there is the anti-ego and they may or may not have instruction (religion and superstition) for its operation, doubt and question. The ego is supplied for its operation directly from sense, a personal function, the anti-ego from memory of failure and fear. Such thinking is not limited to the history nor place known as the USA.

'In the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will, relations of production which correspond to a definite stage of development of their material productive forces. The sum total of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which rises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness. ' Karl Marx

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1859/critique-pol-economy/preface-abs.htm

Answer 3

The constitution, with it's bill of rights, has caused our society to always think of things in terms of their impact on personal liberties.