American exceptionalism has embedded itself into the very fabric of US life. It's the bedrock of our national narrative: "We are the best, we are the richest, we are the most developed, etc." And this is dangerous. It helps to create this false binary between "us" and "them" that situates us--the Americans--as the civilized world, as the vanguard of human rights and world leadership, and positions them (the "Other") as people to be looked down upon, people who can be controlled and oppressed, people who are not fit to govern themselves. This is the attitude that undergirds Trump's Make America Great Again movement, that breeds that sense of stereotypical American entitlement, that has gotten the US into countless invasions and wars under the guise of nation-building.
The funny (or sad) part about American exceptionalism is that it can be dispelled with the most rudimentary of research. When compared to other developed nations, our education and healthcare systems lag far behind. Gun violence is rampant. Black people continue to live in fear of police brutality. Indigenous peoples live in poverty. The mental health crisis is worsening, and our individualistic culture often leaves us isolated from community bonds. Yet people who have grown up in a milieu that prizes American exceptionalism are often brainwashed--they cannot accept contrary evidence because their world paradigms are so deeply ingrained, and they might even face social ostracism for going against the grain. Again, we can call to mind MAGA folks here.
This brings me to my next point--that "developed" versus "undeveloped" status is not necessarily even a proper gauge of quality of life (and the dichotomy should probably be done away with altogether, but that's for another post). Although the US does indeed have the world's highest GDP, that does not mean that wealth is evenly distributed (it most certainly is not). Developing countries often rank higher for happiness due to more solid social bonds (eating meals together, living with family or at least living close by, etc.), although this is not to negate the very real issues surrounding inequity, poverty, food insecurity, and political instability throughout the developing world. The US could do well to emulate qualities stemming from collectivism (which is also not without its downsides), and do away with its obsessions for social media and consumerism.
Let me know in the comments how you've encountered American exceptionalism, how you've navigated it, and how you've challenged it. I'm also curious to learn whether your home country also has a particularly strong breed of nationalism, and how that manifests.
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