Both good and bad traits can be found in Americans. They demonstrate positive behaviors such as time management and gratuities. To the contrary, some American traits are inappropriate.
America is a famous place for this bad habit. Bad language is popular both indoors and outdoors, particularly when people are angry. The negative vice manifests itself in the form of street blaspheming, profanity in film or television sequences, and cursing during television interviews. Words that were previously taboo on television are now frequently used in these platforms. Research indicates that growing individualism, yet another bad habit, is the major root of swearing, contrary to diminishing morals and manners as many people would think (Bellah et. al 53).
One of my uncles has adopted the routine of cursing in front of his children. In addition, he reacts violently against his wife when drunk and is quick to anger. For a long time, the man has used ‘ugly’ words in front of his two sons. Consequently, he received a phone-call from school one day, learning that one of his sons had not only insulted and used ‘unmentionable’ words against his peer but also beaten the classmate. Being a habit, my uncle still finds himself cursing but has progressively reduced the tendency.
Smoking
Smoking is an unhealthy addiction that can lead to diseases like lung cancer (Quinn et. al. 505). Even though it is not the country with the highest smoking rates, America relatively has many smokers compared to many parts of the world. The number grows day by day. Quinn et. al. observes that after numerous campaigns against its health effects, the prevalence of smoking went down but only marginally (505). The habit has caused reduced life expectancy in America.
My mention of lung cancer is due to the fact that a friend’s father’s death is still fresh in my mind. At only 35, the engineer worked long hours, returning home at night only to leave early in the morning. He cited his smoking addiction to work pressure, just like most American chain-smokers excuse themselves. Despite the fact that he was rarely at home, he never forgot special occasions like his son’s birthday, extending this unique virtue to surprisingly attend the son’s best friend’s birthday (my birthday). His vast financial wealth made him my role model. I was so devastated when I learnt of his death. Later on after accepting and moving on, I decided to conduct a research about smoking, an exercise that led me to realize the habit is one of the worst habits Americans are not willing to part with as pointed out by Quinn et. al. (507).
Fast foods
Bellah et. al. (87) points out that most of the successful stores in America, for instance McDonald’s, retail in fast food. Convenience, low cost and aggressive marketing are some of the factors that have caused Americans to prefer buying fast food to other forms of delicacies. Apart from tomatoes and salad greens, most of these types of food reach the restaurants in a canned or frozen state. They are unhealthy processed foods, hence this vice amounts to bad habit, presenting another sad state of Americans’ addictions.
My niece is obese. The thirteen-year old does not eat anything else save for McDonald’s BigMac, at least for the instances I have had an encounter with her. She appears older than her normal peers and would easily be confused for a middle-aged adult. This is what fast food addiction has turned many Americans into. As fast-food chains get richer and richer, the ‘fast food nation’ continues to face the resultant health effects such as obesity and related diseases.
Positive Habits
Time-Management
While Americans portray numerous of bad habits, the nation is also associated with a number of good habits. Cultures apprehend time differently (Shove, Trentmann & Wilk 107). For Americans, time really means money. Time is considered precious, and its wastage condemned. In this country, one has to make money to survive. My brother works two jobs and calculates his time numerically. He says that in his forty-year earning capacity period he targets to make $ 4 million in total. This converts to $ 100,000 annually. He adds that in order to achieve this goal in 250 work days, the amount he has to earn everyday is $ 400. Being a financial expert, he values every hour which he says is worth $50 to him. As such, he manages his time so efficiently that he ends up exceeding his daily objective. This habitual aspect exhibited in America is a typical scenario of a developed nation. Not only does it contribute to elevating the economy but also improves one’s living conditions.
Tipping
When I first watched my dad tip a waiter in a restaurant, I wondered why he did it yet the employees received money for their services. I grew up under my uncle’s custody. His wife was not American. She was an introvert and the stingiest person I have ever met. I never saw her issue tips, no matter how good services extended to her were. Appreciation is one of the best habits human beings can portray. For bartenders or waiters, some of whom I feel are underpaid, the tips they receive go a long way in paying their bills. Americans have developed the habit of tipping, a good attribute which is ignored in some parts of the world.
Works Cited
Bellah, Robert N., et al. Habits of the heart: Individualism and commitment in American life. Univ of California Press, 2007: 51-85.
Quinn, Jeffrey M., et al. "Can’t control yourself? Monitor those bad habits." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 36.4 (2010): 499-511.
Shove, Elizabeth, Frank Trentmann, and Richard Wilk, eds. Time, consumption and everyday life: Practice, materiality and culture. Berg, 2009: 99-111.
