Happiness and the American Way

You've done it. I've done it. Hell, we've all done it. And let's not kid ourselves here, we all feel good doing it. With a seemingly endless supply of juicy adjectives with which to hurl at American culture we find ourselves gleefully going to town on the ol' U S of A, armed with our moral outrage and incredulity. So why are we so quick and eager to lambast America?

Foreign policy disasters and the man-child president aside, there appears to be something about the American pursuit of life, liberty and happiness that we all find somewhat unsettling. For one thing, one is hard pressed to find a culture more enthralled by competition. This is after all, a society fixated on individual success and self fulfilment, where people and children compete with each other in a dizzying array of arenas (baton twirling anyone?). While all of this is usually cast in cheerful, optimistic tones, (i.e. following your dreams and such) it is these same lofty ideas of meritocracy and aspiration that drives Americans to build the grotesque 6000 sqft McMansions and enormous SUVs that cause the rest of us recoil in horror.

Now, according to a recent Pew Research Report, 85% of Americans consider themselves either 'pretty happy' or 'very happy' with it all. So the question then becomes, what is the rest of the world giving up in order to keep Americans happy?