1/OK, it's time to write yet another version of the thread I write every time I come to Japan:
AMERICAN CULTURE IS TOO NEGATIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING
AMERICAN CULTURE IS TOO NEGATIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING
2/I realize that this is a hypocritical thing to argue, since I'm basically going to gripe and complain about how all Americans do is gripe and complain.
It's like when your dad says "Question everything, son!", and you say "Why?"
But OK, that said...
It's like when your dad says "Question everything, son!", and you say "Why?"
But OK, that said...
3/After a few days of hanging out with and talking to Japanese people, I always have the same slow, creeping, momentous realization: PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT STUFF THEY LIKE INSTEAD OF STUFF THEY HATE.
It's just...kind of amazing.
It's just...kind of amazing.
4/I can't quote statistics to you, so you'll have to either take my word for it or (preferably) learn Japanese and go see for yourself.
But I do have some evidence about America.
This is specific to politics, but I think it applies broadly:
But I do have some evidence about America.
This is specific to politics, but I think it applies broadly:
5/And I have evidence that Americans are becoming less happy: citylab.com/life/2018/03/t…
6/And I can verify that suicide rates are plunging in Japan: nippon.com/en/features/h0…
Even as they soar in America:
vocativ.com/412376/suicide…
Even as they soar in America:
vocativ.com/412376/suicide…
7/I mean, heroin addiction and the aftermath of the Great Recession have a lot to do with this...I'm not a cultural fundamentalist who thinks that if we all just started talking and thinking positively, life would be great. That would be silly...
8/So I can't prove my case that Americans are excessively negativistic, even if I went and pulled a dozen psychology papers and Psychology Today op-eds.
So you're going to have to take this thread as what it is, i.e. the random ranting of an old man.
But that said...
So you're going to have to take this thread as what it is, i.e. the random ranting of an old man.
But that said...
9/Americans are OBSESSED with criticizing things. Especially on social media.
We venerate and worship "snark", and sneer at positivity as "smarm": gawker.com/on-smarm-14765…
We venerate and worship "snark", and sneer at positivity as "smarm": gawker.com/on-smarm-14765…
10/Positive tweets get a few dozen retweets, while denunciations go viral.
firstpost.com/life/outrage-i…
firstpost.com/life/outrage-i…
11/It's as if we think that by denouncing, attacking, critiquing, and vilifying every single thing that's WRONG with society, we can make society go in the right direction by default.
Does this seem crazy to anyone else?
Does this seem crazy to anyone else?
12/Here's why the negative approach to social change fails:
Reason 1: Every positive thing anyone ever builds has imperfections and problems.
Every hero does bad things and stupid things. Every movement has idiots and extremists. Every technology has negative side effects.
Reason 1: Every positive thing anyone ever builds has imperfections and problems.
Every hero does bad things and stupid things. Every movement has idiots and extremists. Every technology has negative side effects.
13/Women's March! Biggest protest in history! Totally nonviolent! Bringing together people of all races and religions and sexualities and...
...oh wait, they invited some anti-semitic has-been to a rally? theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
GUESS WE BETTER THROW THEM IN THE GARBAGE, THEN!
...oh wait, they invited some anti-semitic has-been to a rally? theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
GUESS WE BETTER THROW THEM IN THE GARBAGE, THEN!
14/Elon Musk gets the finance industry to fund a multi-gajillion dollar effort to replace fossil fuels with batteries and employ a crap-ton of Americans in the process?
OH BUT WAIT he said bad things about public transit, plus he put a car in space or something. GARBAGE
OH BUT WAIT he said bad things about public transit, plus he put a car in space or something. GARBAGE
15/In modern America, every thinker is an "idiot". Every idea is "garbage". Every movement is a "dumpster fire". Every company is a bunch of evil plutocrats, every politician a corrupt grifter, every activist a hypocritical extremist.
16/I don't know if negativism is a big reason we can't seem to build anything.
Why we can't build new housing: mercurynews.com/2018/01/19/bay…
Or new businesses: econweb.umd.edu/~haltiwan/Halt…
Or new infrastructure.
Or new functional government institutions.
But it can't be helping!!!
Why we can't build new housing: mercurynews.com/2018/01/19/bay…
Or new businesses: econweb.umd.edu/~haltiwan/Halt…
Or new infrastructure.
Or new functional government institutions.
But it can't be helping!!!
17/I firmly believe that you CANNOT corral a society into greatness through criticism alone.
We are a people who has forgotten how to construct, and who can now only deconstruct.
We need to remember how to appreciate the positive.
(end)
We are a people who has forgotten how to construct, and who can now only deconstruct.
We need to remember how to appreciate the positive.
(end)
"But Noah, with Trump in the White House, we've got much more than ever to be negative about!"
Well, that's true!
But instead of just turning up the criticism from 10 to 11, we should be BUILDING positive movements and organizations, like this: economist.com/blogs/democrac…
Well, that's true!
But instead of just turning up the criticism from 10 to 11, we should be BUILDING positive movements and organizations, like this: economist.com/blogs/democrac…
And yes, I'm going to follow this up with a thread on all the good stuff Americans are doing. It'll get 200 RTs and 400 faves, and 46 replies bashing the hell out of everything in the thread, and everyone will just read the replies and despair.
And yes, in case you're wondering, I am in no way exempting myself from this criticism of American society. I'm just as much an offender as anyone else, and until I go overseas I don't even notice I'm doing it.
