Paz and American Way of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paz and American Way of Life - Essay Example They do not feel the need to reconnect to the creator of the universe as other cultures may and their lives are of solitude. Americans consider themselves creators in their own right, these is evidenced by the innumerable creations ranging from architectural and infrastructural structures to bold scientific inventions some like cloning which are in constantly in a collision path with many religious organisations. They use their works of creation as mirror, to see who they are and how far they have come. I am in agreement with Paz when he notes that the Americans have let their work take them over, they define themselves by superficial inorganic constructs such as technological advancements and money. Consequently they do not see themselves primarily as human being or citizens of a human universe but as workers, inventor’s businesspeople and other impersonal categorisations in pursuit for objectivity. The mechanical nature of their sense of identity makes them loose a part of their humanity when they fail to recognise themselves for who they really are because they are lost in their work. Americans h ave put so much effort; time and thought in their work and these are what they hold dear seeming to believe that they are sorely responsible for all that is in their world and it is their job to maintain it. They do not view life as having another aspect; the spiritual aspect, they do not have the craving to reconnect with their source (Stavans 35). The Americans are confident and self-assured, people according to Paz (21) they seem happy and well adapted to the world around them. However, the beauty of this is that it has not suppressed their willingness to criticize the wrong they see around them. Their freedom of speech and opinion is very outward and they do not shy from using it. While criticism may be seen as wrong, to the Americans it is a tool to better their world. It respects the systems that they have in place and does not touch the root of their being. They do not seek to change their structures socially or culturally but to improve or limit the way certain things are done within this structure. The Americans are inherently reformists and when they are unhappy with the existing systems; they go out of their way to ensure they change them in line with the social and constitutional doctrine that states every American has the right to pursue happiness. In addition, they generally feel that their and liberal way are the ways are acceptable; to them and they are not very far from perfection at least in their own eyes (Rosman 82). Paz has managed to vividly bring out the character of the American people not only as he sees them but as the rest of the world does too. Their confidence in unwavering and they take pride in their freedom of expression which allows them to disagrees with people’s ideas and statements while fiercely support their right to express them. Many people view realists as pessimists as Paz has noted, especially the Mexicans, but not the Americans,