We are a product of modern Western culture?

Question

To what extent does modern Western culture strive for excellence and promote genius, self-expression, individuality, and originality

Answer 1

Every one of those are ideals of the modern Western culture, so, in that sense, we are all expected to strive for such.

The problem is, like with many ideals, most of us are doomed to fail at these goals, because the skills and opportunities for them are either unavailable or severeley limited for most of us.

Schools, on the one hand, "reward" excellence in only one way, grades. Once past kindergarten, even effort fails to find recognition unless the "grade level" is acheived. And self-expression? In school, one might as well forget it.

Outside of school, self expression is only rewarded if one is ALREADY blessed with commercial success. Even individuality is stiffled because in almost any commercial venture, teamwork is the model expected.

It is rare that an individual can express his genius and originality. Most of these outlets are limited to the arts, where even excellence is a matter of someone else's judgement. Who gets funding from the National Endowment for the Arts? NOT the starving artist. Money goes, rather, to the already recognizes artists.

So, when it comes to "ideals" such as you mentioned, and, add to these the ideals of "fairness, justice, charity and peace," we tend to give them lip service, but the practicallity of day to day existance means that they take a back seat to greed, suspicion, blending into the background and a "don't make waves" attitude.

And, note to "rico" It's clear that you don't know the right words to express your reasons. Not all of us do. But, as I mentioned, the rewards for having the right words are not available. My carefully thought out answer has the same two point value as yours.

You, "rico" may have the EXACT feelings and reasons as I, but we both blend in with the rest of Yahoo's uniform blandness, forever doomed to share space with mediocrity.

Answer 2

Yes we are. I don't have the right words to explain to what extent modern western culture strives for excellence and promote genius, self-expression, individuality, and originality, sorry. lol

Answer 3

I can't speak for anyone else but I am a product of Western culture

Answer 4

It's funny that you should ask this. If someone has ideas that do are not in sync with the majority of the people they are considered insane.