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Uh oh. Chat am I cooked? My father and his father are genuinely some of the best people I know. Kind, reasonable, good fathers and husbands, charitable, and extremely hard working. Genuinely don't think I can measure up. Is my self esteem doomed?
My dad has visited all those countries (though Thailand the fewest times), and his experiences match up for sure. Said Japan was remarkably older than expected, but SK was extremely vibrant and modern feeling. But does architecture really reflect success? You know, during the United States' most successful century, a lot of cities were frankly total crap to live in for a good portion of the time. Smog and smoke everywhere, urban overcrowding, the occasional riot, etc. I'd say it's less about confidence or architecture or dynamism than it is if people care, on an individual level, strongly, about their fates. In that sense, as long as the structuralists don't stifle the individualists too much, we're probably OK, macro-scale. Individual welfare is another matter entirely.
There's one big point about the US I disagree with. West-coasters might be less traditionally polite, but are far more open about experiences than other parts of the country. My sister is in college in upstate NY and it was quite an adjustment even in the small things - people are far less likely to strike up conversations, no one responds genuinely to "how was your day" to strangers like they do back out West, and the casualness to which you treat others in some ways translates to a very egalitarian society, where someone rich might genuinely have similar mannerisms to someone poor, (though not in all areas). I would say rather than respect being lost, it's a different kind of respect.
My dad and grandpa are/were similarly, unattainably excellent people. I may make more money even if my overall morality score has some generational decay. So at least I've got that going for me, which is nice.
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