American Self Perception Vs. The Truth

American Self Perception vs. The Truth

Lee Greenwood, a song writer, describes the emotion involved in

American self-perception in a song by saying, "I'm proud to be an American. For at least I know I'm free." Freedom is the founding pillar of the American self- perception. Self-perception is the culmination of how one views oneself. Other aspects which make up American self-perception are wealth, power, and the pursuance of happiness. Self-perceptions, whether confined to the individual or confined to an entire country, usually leave out negative aspects such as hypocrisy. When dealing with the perception of a country, the true image of a society comes from self, or internal perceptions, combined with the external perceptions from other countries.

The foundation of American self-perception is freedom. Freedom of speech and movement are virtual institutions in the United States. Such freedoms of speech and movement are outlined in the United States Constitution. Americans believe the constitution sketches the "American Dream" which is having a family, money, and the freedom to pursue happiness. Every American will stand by the line derived from the Constitution, "All men are created equal." In actuality, the constitution outlined the freedom for rich white landowners to achieve unchecked power and wealth. At the time of the framing of the constitution, blacks were slaves thus all men were NOT created equal. Women were equally excluded from the constitution as suffrage wasn't even a consideration at the time. The only class groups which the American Constitution outlined freedom for were wealthy European immigrants fleeing their own land for such reasons as taxes. After such movements as Suffrage and Civil Rights, all Americans were granted individual rights of freedom thus approaching equality.

The American self-perception of living a life of virtual complete freedom parallels the American stand on its' belief of democracy. Americans feel that a democratic government is the only possible administration which can be deemed acceptable in today's world system. Such a deep rooted belief in democracy instills a fear and dislike of any other form of government. Look at

American policies towards the Soviet Union after the second world war. The

...

... middle of paper ...

...rom America is a godsend, Many Poles agree that the intermingling of American culture with Polish culture is unacceptable. Never has the US ever extended another country such equal treatment. A large section of the Polish population views Americans as wealthy and powerful on the positive side, and imperialistic and egotistical on the negative side.

The American true image is comprised of more than self-perception. How other countries and cultures perceive Americans is a important part of what it truly means to be an American. Americans see themselves as free and righteous while other countries like Poland view Americans as ethnocentric. What many

Americans fail to see in their self-perception is, that intermingled within their beliefs and practices, hypocrisy. Hypocrisy dominated the American containment policy of the Soviet Union in the Cold War era. As Americans were condemning the Soviets for pushing a communist government, Americans themselves were pushing democracy in weaker, dependent states. To find the truth of what it is to be American, you must combine other countries perceptions into your own, otherwise you will only achieve half the truth.