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That America was the greatest country in the world. And truly, not trying to be political, but honestly the propaganda in Midwest America was real. I didn't know anything about other countries - except for we were better. We figured it out, we built the best system ever and everyone else wanted to be like us.
Now those are the people I see overseas who are about to get punched in a pub.
Definitely heard this all the time and went with it blindly. I grew up in Ohio, now live on the other side of the planet with zero intention of ever living in the US again.
That midwest propaganda is still around, just chewed out a coworker who said they'd be fine with everyone in Ukraine dying so that the US can 'have more money' and 'be independant'
Good. Americana think they're so much different from everyone else and we're literally not. I hold a form belief that everyone just wants to go to work, get off work, they'd rather get a pizza for dinner but they're going to try to eat something better, are looking forward to their next day off, and when it comes they're going to go to their target equivalent for a boring errands run. I think about 90% of the people are in this category, just average working people, and that makes me feel a little more connected with them.
Yes, many millenials have been mentally fucked up by being constantly told that they were special or they would grow up to be special or achieve to become special. Now they're not special, they're average, just like everyone else, but they can't handle it or accept it. They grow depressed, of get a bloated ego or vote for Donald Trump et al.
I personally think it's a liberating feeling to just be average. Make the best of your life, no pressure. I've made some lasting (positive) impressions on a handful of individuals and that gives me loads more satisfaction than being a world changer and loads less stress.
Gen X had the same messaging. We were told we were all special, and then reality set in and we couldn't do shit about anything. That's literally the plot of Fight Club. Late stage capitalism is a bitch and we've been here for at least 15 if not 20 years.
I know I failed out of my first year of college simply because all through school I was told I was so smart. So I got to college and was bitch slapped by what actual work looked like. Luckily I turned it around. However I had someone who was sort of my counter part who was in the same advanced classes as me, same thing happened and he works at a gas station in the middle of nowhere now. You want to think your kids are special and want to encourage them, but no.
We need to teach that special is earned, not a given.
How did they react to you calling them out?
They shut up luckily enough