In my persuasion class we’ve been learning about the “myths” of American culture. The word “myth” is used to imply an ideal and a narrative. The most common and efficient ways for cultures to pass on their values are through narratives, or stories.
Some of the common American myths or narratives that we learned about are “the wisdom of the rustic,” the “masses at the gate,” and the “power of the conspiracy.” One myth that struck a chord with me is known as “the infinite return.” This myth refers to the sentiment that “the past is always better.”
With the current state of global and national affairs, this sentiment initially seems to be more of a fact. Our economy is in the toilet, terrorists are trying to blow us up, global warming is going to destroy us and then, of course, there’s the big scary 2012 apocalypse. I can’t imagine that our forefathers, or even my father when he was a young man, had to worry about problems of such epic proportion. But we have to remember, proportion is a matter of perspective. Was the past actually any better?
Oh how I long for a simpler time. When men were men, and women were women. When food was hearty and pesticide free. When children were polite and respected their elders. When a good time consisted of nothing but a walk through a quiet meadow. Of course, during that simpler time as a mixed race woman I’d probably be discriminated against and treated like crap. If I contracted a touch of diarrhea from my hearty, pesticide free food I’d most likely die of dehydration. I’d also probably die giving birth to my polite and respectful children. And I may or may not be scalped by marauding natives while taking a quiet walk through the meadow.
So, jeez, maybe life wasn’t as sweet back then.
My point is that this myth about the past being better is a fallacy, and a highly obstructive one at that. Undoubtedly the past was different, but it was no better. If it isn’t Al-Qaeda lurking in the shadows, it was the communists. If it wasn’t cancer, it was polio. If it’s not the threat of North Korea destroying the earth in a nuclear blaze, it was the sincere worry that an angry god would destroy the earth in a fiery rage.
Problems seem to be at such epic proportions because we are no longer faced with only the problems of our family, or neighborhood or town. Thanks to mass media, we are faced with the problems of natural disaster in Japan, genocide in Africa, human trafficking in Europe, and destruction of the Amazon in South America. Mass media did not create these problems, but revealed preexisting problems.
If no one invented the automobile or the Internet, if we were essentially still living the same life as we were 200 years ago, we would still face the same problems – death, war, starvation, discrimination. It’s sad to think that despite our good intentions, problems remain more or less the same, but at least it gives us more perspective on where we’re really at in the scheme of things.
Every generation is faced with problems that make it feel like the end of the world. Every generation believes they are at a crucial point in history. But how can every generation be at the most critical point in history? How can every generation be faced with the end of the world? Isn’t that a touch self-centered and over-dramatic? If every generation has these extreme sentiments, yet none of them ever occur, how can any of them be true? Clearly, the past is not so different, therefore not worth the “infinite return.”
The past and the present both have their perks, but looking to the past, as the last beacon of hope is ultimately unhelpful… and really lazy problem solving. When things go wrong it’s unfair to automatically jump to the conclusion that the problem arises from “losing our way” or “straying from the right path.” Yet politicians use this trick all the time to get stupid, fearful people to vote for them. The past is only rose-colored for those favored during that time. Things change for a reason.
Look at ancient cultures of the Middle East and Asia. Many of the traditions of these cultures, found in music, food, art, religion and values, were preserved because people have chosen to preserve them. When people are given the chance to choose how they will live their lives, they will incorporate the things that have helped them succeed, that are meaningful to them and that make them happy. Things of the past that people deemed worthy enough to pass onto future generations are actually not “things of the past” because they still exist.
The ideas, mentalities and strategies that repeatedly prove themselves successful will remain. The things that prove themselves to be unnecessary will be left behind. The “unnecessary” are the things that change from generation to generation. It’s a matter of evolution.
Not surprisingly, the other myths that make up the American psyche include the opposing myths of the “apocalypse” and the “power of the individual.” One finds salvation in repenting to god while the other finds salvation in individual innovation. It just goes to show that America is a schizophrenic luminary whose past and present are so equally loved that no one can choose between them. At least, we can be thankful for that.
Opinions expressed in editorial and opinion articles are the views of individual NIC students. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Sentinel, North Idaho College, or any other organizations or groups there-in. North Idaho College is not responsible for the accuracy of statements or opinions shared.
