Thoughts of American Self Importance.

So for my first real rant, I thought I'd start with something guaranteeing that no one will read the next one.  That way I can make sure to keep this blog a private conversation between Me, Myself, and I.  So what is going to alienate almost any prospective reader?  Addressing my thoughts of American Self Importance.  I will fight the urge to run into all the different tangents that will pop up.  But no promises.  So with out furthur stalling for my coffee to finish brewing lets jump in.

I start this rant with the idea that someone who truly loves something can admit there's a problem and reach out for it to get better.  Also, I come to this rant feeling the best thing to do is to steal good ideas from where ever they are.

Something I have noticed more with each passing year, and each new person I meet is this.  Americans are a dangerous combination of self important, greedy, and ignorant.  And yes this also includes me.  But let me explain what I mean.  Now anyone who has worked in a service industry, especially food services, will know where I am coming from.  How many times have you heard/said the phrase "It's my money, I don't care what the chef/policy/law/physics say.  Do it my way."  Now this can be something as simple as a restaurant the doesn't serve top cuts of meat well done, or not having a gluten free bread option at the ready.  Maybe something more difficult like having a random engine noise diagnosed and repaired for under $100 and within the hour.

Now, no one likes being told no.  It breaks us out of our self important worlds.  We are no longer the center of attention when someone doesn't grovel for our approval.  We think of ourselves as the expert on what we want.  We don't want to hear from the experts on what is realistic.  When people find out I have a degree in Poli-Sci, they have one of two questions, assuming they don't also have one.  The first question is often "what the hell is wrong with you?  Didn't you ever want to be employed?" and the second is "why is politics in America broken?"  To the first question?  Honestly I am someone who would rather learn than do.  While that makes me sound lazy, and man am I ever, it really means I thrive on new things.  So career path-ing was something i never really worried about.  Ooops.  To the second question I usually answer "selfishness."

Yes that is a cheap and easy out.  But it has a lot of merit.  The rant on whether or not federal government is doing exactly what it was designed to is for another time.  But as far as tackling the idea of why when presented with with clear cut problems with answers agreed upon by experts nothing gets done, selfishness is a fair answer.  Campaign finance reform?  Well the people there got there under the current rules, why change them to something you might not win at?  Tax reform?  Well if you already know how to play the tax system, and the people you interact with most do as well, why throw it all out?

But that's not the major problem.  How can you take advice from others if you cannot admit to being wrong about your views and opinions.  There is a feeling that because I am an American, I am the best.  I know whats right in my head/gut/heart.  That's a stupid way to live.  If not reckless once you are in a position of authority. 

Back to the restaurant again.  Unless you are in a very foodie place the role of a waiter in the USA is different from that in Europe.  An American waiter is there to tell you the specials (whats cheap) and to make sure any special requests you have get taken care off (grovel and appease) and if they dance this song well you might be bothered to tip.  They are not the expert, you are.  We dont even have to pay them well, because they are stupid, and if you get one of the 'good ones' you will help them out with a tip.  In Europe the waiter is there to make sure you have a good experience.  They are there to steer you away from bad choices and into good meals.  They are the experts.

Quick Story Time:  When I was an exchange student in Germany the group was spending the day touring the city.  Well shortly after noon we broke for lunch.  Most went to this nice looking upscale patio restaurant, while I wandered into a hole in the wall.  Walked in, asked in my best German for what ever the chef recommends and a beer to match.  While I was waiting for my lunch (which was amazing btw) an American couple walked in and sat for lunch.  The guy immediately orders the most expensive steak on the menu well done.  The server was a very nice lady, in her 40's or 50's and her husband was the chef.  She in very polite and accented English informed the man that they would not disrespect the meat by cooking it above medium, But they had a wonderful hand made meatloaf today, and have their own hand made burgers on special.  Now here's the part that made me wish it was a Canadian flag on my bag instead.  He raised his voice back to her saying "it's my money I will have it well done!"  To her credit she smiled at him and told him about how they had been doing business with the same farm for years, and if he really wanted to know she could probably tell him the name of the cow he was about to eat.  Meanwhile the guys girlfriend is turning bright red, embarrassed as he should have been.  In the end he was so rude that the waitress asked him to leave.  And he went, dragging his girlfriend by the wrist.

There are many things wrong with that interaction.  But the thing that amazes me to this day, is that EVERY cook I have met or work with has a similar story.  Someone trying to help you with their expertise being shot down, and called out for trying to help you grow.  Some will say well that's bad customer service.  Without his money you loose out on profit.  Maybe, okay you do for that meal.  But if what makes you successful is making sure everyone who talks about the food in your place only has good stories about the food, why let someone order something that is going to be not good?  Just because I have money, and want something doesnt mean I should get it.

If I come to you for your expertise, I have to be humble enough to take the advice you give.  That's true of any field.  If I goto a mechanic and he tells me I need a new timing belt because its 90,000 miles and its worn out.  I am not going to tell him he's wrong just because I have listened to an episode of Car Talk once in the last 10 years.  I need to accept the bad news now that I need to pay the upkeep, instead of ignoring it in the short term and paying for it 10 fold in the long term.

As Americans we expect everything, and we expect it for free.  To combine the mantras of two very good professors I have been lucky enough to have, "there is no such thing as a free lunch, and physics is a bitch."  You cant get something for nothing, when you try to cheat unintended consequences will make it much worse than just paying upfront.  Think of all the components of a modern infrastructure for a modern nation we have decaying, out of date, or non-existent.  We expect them to be there when we need them, but dont want to put any of the upfront labor or expense on building or maintaining them.

I have been to other countries, and yes American is great, and has a lot of wonderful things about it.  But this inability to take the advice of those in the know  is self castration.  And it can be just as painful.  There are experts out there who have spent their lives understanding an aspect of the human condition in a way we simply dont have time or interest to do.  We need to be big enough as people to accept that we cannot know everything.  Scott Adams wrote in his book The Dilbert Principle that everyone has moments of being stupid.  I agree.  If I dont make 10 mistakes in an hour, then I must be asleep.  But that's ok.  We learn more from mistakes than successes.  Accepting I can be wrong frees me to learn and accept/steal the ideas from those in the know on that particular subject.  No human being can master every subject.  Jack of all trades master of none. 

The most successful people I have worked for had one thing in common.  They were honest with them selves.  They admitted when they didn't have the answer.  That freed them to find out and learn something new that may help later.  It allowed them to discover unidentified resources in their own organizations.  What? Shelly studies this on her spare time, or has handled this case type the most often?  Well lets listen to her advice.  Also being able to admit we dont know the answer frees us up to discover that no one may know the answer.

(short story time #2 skipped for sanity of the reader)

I want the American Empire to thrive.  I live here.  And I have a sick optimism that correctly directed a humanitarian American Empire could uplift the living conditions of billions in this world.  If we are going to see that future, the emperor has to be humble enough to admit he has no clothes.  And we as citizens have to be humble enough to admit that we dont have all the answers.  In fact, we may be very lucky and very special if we have any answers at all.