Is the American way of life high-stress?

[MollyBeGood]

Yes!! it is ridiculously stressful and designed to be that way so we are all kept distracted and unhappy and unhealthy so that ::: The doctors can keep prescribing the medicines that keep us unhealthy and the fashion and beauty industry can keep making money from us being so hateful of or appearances and the insurance companies can make money off our fear of the unknown and the Hollywood b.s. can make us all wish we had someone else lives so we buy more crap to be like a movie star and it goes on and on....

We are all taught and shown ideals which are purposely IMPOSSIBLE to live up to so we spend all of our lives, money and time trying be that perfect person which is not real at all. But we are made to be so busy that we never have time to ponder the ludicrousness of it all. The self-imposed stress of keeping on the hamster wheel is what makes the economy of this country going round. As you can see though that house of cards is going to fall apart soon. I think a lot of people are wising up an opting out of the game for simpler lives. Stress is the number one killer of people.

 

[Eman]

I lived in a few countries before moving to US and I have to admit, life here is much more stressful than anywhere else I've been. Here is what I have observed - please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this:

For a so-called "land of the free", there isn't a lot of freedom here. You are stuck in the so-called rat race so you can earn enough money to survive. Meanwhile your worth is determined by how much revolving debt you can pile up, which only brings on more stress. The rich people take money from the poor and stash it away, the poor people spend as if they were rich, willingly giving it right back to the rich, ensuring that they stay in the rat-race.
The media sensationalizes every thing - blowing the tiniest story into a huge fiasco and creating unnecessary states of panic in the public. I doubt if half of them even check their stories for accuracy. It's all about ratings and advertising revenue at the cost of whatever state of unrest they put you in. And people STILL tune in to watch these stories.

The worst part of it is americans sit around all day watching tv but very few of them sit and enjoy the moment or even indulge in the fruits of their hard work because by the time you are able to build anything, you've already been duped. Why? Because it's all about getting it now! So the people are coaxed into amassing more debt and by the time they are able to build anything, the banks, and even the government, already have them in a chokehold and in a hole that they may never get out of. Oh, and you have to pay a tax if you die and want to pass on your possessions and earnings to your children. WTF is that?!

But to put it all in perspective, I think this is to be expected in a country with so much monetary wealth. The system is designed to sustain the wealth and to maintain its international status as a powerhouse. there are many places that are probably much more stressful than the US. For example, I would assume living in the middle east in it's present state is probably a lot more stressful due to the violence and chaos they are going through. But in any other country with a stabilized government, this is definitely the most stressful that I have been in.

 

[Opaline]

I lived in a few countries before moving to US and I have to admit, life here is much more stressful than anywhere else I've been. Here is what I have observed - please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this:

For a so-called "land of the free", there isn't a lot of freedom here. You are stuck in the so-called rat race so you can earn enough money to survive. Meanwhile your worth is determined by how much revolving debt you can pile up, which only brings on more stress. The rich people take money from the poor and stash it away, the poor people spend as if they were rich, willingly giving it right back to the rich, ensuring that they stay in the rat-race.
The media sensationalizes every thing - blowing the tiniest story into a huge fiasco and creating unnecessary states of panic in the public. I doubt if half of them even check their stories for accuracy. It's all about ratings and advertising revenue at the cost of whatever state of unrest they put you in. And people STILL tune in to watch these stories.

The worst part of it is americans sit around all day watching tv but very few of them sit and enjoy the moment or even indulge in the fruits of their hard work because by the time you are able to build anything, you've already been duped. Why? Because it's all about getting it now! So the people are coaxed into amassing more debt and by the time they are able to build anything, the banks, and even the government, already have them in a chokehold and in a hole that they may never get out of. Oh, and you have to pay a tax if you die and want to pass on your possessions and earnings to your children. WTF is that?!

But to put it all in perspective, I think this is to be expected in a country with so much monetary wealth. The system is designed to sustain the wealth and to maintain its international status as a powerhouse. there are many places that are probably much more stressful than the US. For example, I would assume living in the middle east in it's present state is probably a lot more stressful due to the violence and chaos they are going through. But in any other country with a stabilized government, this is definitely the most stressful that I have been in.

:sad:

Sometimes I hear from people "You take it for granted, you don't know how good you have it here, you wouldn't REALLY want to have been born in another country." And that could be true, depending on the country, obviously, but I'm not sure this is necessarily the best place on earth to live. I haven't ever lived (or traveled) outside of the United States, though, so I only know what I read about or hear from others or see on Youtube or whatever.

Like you said, some countries in the Middle East or other areas with high poverty or violence or constant warfare are obviously not what I'm talking about. But I know someone from a South American country who hates it here, and is just here to work and save so he can go back and buy a farm of his own so he can leave his family's farm. He's talked about his life there and despite not having a lot of wealth, he managed to go to college for agriculture and was happy there with the work he did and the sense of community. That sounds ideal to me, but then, I'd have to experience it firsthand to know for sure I think. Plus he's male, and sometimes men have it better in some of these countries that tend to be more sexist than some Western countries.

 

[chibiXphantom]

i think one reason it's stressful is because people dont take the time to relax. as said before, it's a very fast paced society, more and more things are made to make things get done even faster. this frees up more time, and we just try to fill up that time with more and more things. i know many people that feel guilty for taking a vacation, relaxing on their day off. i think people are afraid of being seen as lazy and feel they cant waste time. and i think "wasting time" is a bad phrase to begin with. if you enjoy doing something and there isnt something crucial that really has to be done, i dont think you're wasting time.

 

[NathanielWingatePeaslee]

Like you said, some countries in the Middle East or other areas with high poverty or violence or constant warfare are obviously not what I'm talking about.

The U.S. takes the trophy by miles for constant warfare. The trick is that it's never on our own soil, so we can pretend there isn't constant maiming and killing being done with our tax dollars.

 

[BlueDays]

i think one reason it's stressful is because people dont take the time to relax. as said before, it's a very fast paced society, more and more things are made to make things get done even faster. this frees up more time, and we just try to fill up that time with more and more things. i know many people that feel guilty for taking a vacation, relaxing on their day off. i think people are afraid of being seen as lazy and feel they cant waste time. and i think "wasting time" is a bad phrase to begin with. if you enjoy doing something and there isnt something crucial that really has to be done, i dont think you're wasting time.

^Very true.

 

[squidgee]

i think one reason it's stressful is because people dont take the time to relax. as said before, it's a very fast paced society, more and more things are made to make things get done even faster. this frees up more time, and we just try to fill up that time with more and more things. i know many people that feel guilty for taking a vacation, relaxing on their day off. i think people are afraid of being seen as lazy and feel they cant waste time. and i think "wasting time" is a bad phrase to begin with. if you enjoy doing something and there isnt something crucial that really has to be done, i dont think you're wasting time.

I agree with this. I find that often in Western cultures, there's a real drive and pressure for young adults to become independent and out of the house as quickly as possible. It's like you get looked down upon if you don't move out after high school or in your early twenties, because you're then perceived as someone who might be leeching off their parents, or unable to make his/her own living. Sadly, this is becoming less and less feasible over time. Without a stable job, I couldn't possibly move out right now. It'd be financial suicide.