During the course of assignment 2, I learned the values and ideals of American citizen. There are a different set of values that comes along with being an American citizen that may seem odd or even distasteful to individuals from other cultures. While Americans have a habit of thinking we are all unique from on another therefore we can not all share the same values, the fact the matter is many Americans think the same. The essay by Robert Kohls shocked me in its accuracy. I unconscious began to feel guilty and also having many aha moments as I read each value and their explanation. There are many values on the list I have found myself encapsulating myself in from time to time. For instance, I have been deteriorating my mental health worrying about my future as far as graduating, finding a job, finding an apartment, and even getting married. On the other hand, I am in a great position right now; I have started a new job, I’m tackling summer classes, and I have been saving money as I earn it. Rather than living in the present and taking things one step at a time, I catapult myself into the future and become extremely stresses. I believe looking at the values on paper has helped me a lot in identifying my values and the life I want for myself. I had not realized how influenced I was by American values. I too thought that I was my own person, I find this a bit ridiculous now considering I am a psychology major and I am always going on about how we are all impacted by our environment and the people around us. It is great to have values. They are important in realizing who you are and what is important to you. In this, an individual can make decisions in life according to their values. Good values leads to good decisions and hopefully, good outcomes.
