Q&A American Individualism

Thank you so much for answering my question, I enjoy your lectures a lot!

Hey Wes I've been thinking, how does the strong condemnation of "nepotism" connect to the American individualism? Under less complicated societies favoring your own is implicit but all of a sudden now we live in a world when we assume that there are universal rules of meritocracy and puting people close to you in highly esteemed positions is frowned upon.

Wes, did you talk about why you moved to France in a previous YouTube podcast?

What I don't get is how Americans handle all that cognitive dissonance between : 1) we are proud of America (meaning there are / have been OTHER Americans that did great things FOR US) 2) Cities are explicitly designed to not foster community 3) I have to care for myself because no one is doing anything for me 4) I am super afraid of all those other Americans, that's why I need to carry guns and stuff 5) I am proud to be an American among all those other great Americans (who are not out to hurt me because then they wouldn't all be great) 6) Americans that are unlike me are somewhat not as American as me 7) America is based on immigration, but immigration is bad, despite me being a close descendant of immigrants, who had to have community because how could you build anything without cooperation I could go on and on and on...

You can't teach cultmembers, individualistic tricks 🧠

One Punch Man

I hate to say it...but the resolution to this is to foster this extreme individualism among men of genius and intelligence. And foster collective values in the mediocre.