Professor Sees Mania
In New Book, Professor Sees 'Mania' in U.S.In his new book, "American Mania: When More Is Not Enough" (W. W. Norton & Company), Dr. Whybrow argues that in the age of globalization, Americans are addictively driven by the brain's pleasure centers to live turbocharged lives in pursuit of status and possessions at the expense of the only things that can truly make us happy: relationships with other people."In our compulsive drive for more," writes Dr. Whybrow, 64, a professor of psychiatry and bio-behavioral science, "we are making ourselves sick."
(Via The New York Times > Arts.)
More on the Brain theme...
Other countries are prey to the same forces, Dr. Whybrow says, but the problem is worse here because we are a nation of immigrants, genetically self-selected to favor individualism and novelty. Americans are competitive, restless and driven to succeed. And we have succeeded.
Individualism has driven America from the start. It is the country's strength and
achilles heel at the same time.
posted by ottmar on March 12, 2005 07:01 AM
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