As somebody who has no social ties to this community, I can attest that -- while this social cynicism certainly exists in America, and especially among those who concern themselves with status -- it's not as endemic in "normal" American culture as you're describing. People here seem more content on the margin to derive meaning from self-expression and hedonism and say screw the social pressure.
As somebody who has no social ties to this community, I can attest that -- while this social cynicism certainly exists in America, and especially among those who concern themselves with status -- it's not as endemic in "normal" American culture as you're describing. People here seem more content on the margin to derive meaning from self-expression and hedonism and say screw the social pressure.