A speech on the necessity of American heroism

American hero culture is individualism, aggression and absolute self-confidence.

Compared with European countries, American heroic culture is as young as this country. As an immigrant country, its "hero" inevitably bears the shadow of the heroic culture of the old continent. However, since the first day of its establishment, this young country has been expanding its territory and its national strength has expanded rapidly. The hero it creates, whether it is a "Yankee" or a cowboy; Whether it is white immigrants expanding to the west or American soldiers fighting overseas; Generally speaking, there is a similar trait: individualism, aggression and absolute confidence. All the popular westerns are almost the same pattern: a hero fights alone in the world, finally retires and disappears quietly. Although the heroes in modern American blockbusters have various shapes and backgrounds, in essence, there is only one shape of "American hero": the American's own shape is that he sometimes wears cowboy clothes, sometimes wears a Vietnam helmet, and sometimes dresses up as Spider-Man or even an alien.

The philosopher Zino Furniss said that if a cow has a god, its god must be like a cow. The "heroes" created by Americans who are bosses all over the world are naturally a pair of bosses who give up others. Although some people in the United States don't agree with this from time to time, movies that reflect the influence of heroic culture, such as Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan or Born on July 4th, vividly illustrate the market and far-reaching influence of heroic culture and "American heroes" among Americans. Today, such a "simple" heroic culture in America has deeply influenced the world, just like other cultures in America.

An Englishman, a Frenchman and an American fell into the hands of a group of robbers. The bandit leader was kind enough to allow them to do one last thing before being executed. The Englishman said that his last wish was to write a will, and the robber provided him with tables, chairs, pens and paper. The Frenchman said that he wanted to make out with his girlfriend again before he died; Americans stand still. The bandit leader asked him what he wished for. He said he didn't want anything, just the bandit leader kicking his ass. The bandit leader was amused by his strange wishes and kicked his ass without hesitation. After the old beauty got this kick, she turned around and took out the gun hidden in her body, killing all the robbers. Seeing this, the Englishman and the Frenchman asked the old American, "Since you have a weapon hidden on you, why didn't you shoot at first and be a prisoner?" ? America scratched her head in confusion and said, they didn't hurt me. How can I kill for no reason? The reason why I want the robber to kick my ass is to get the moral qualification of revenge. Americans attach great importance to others' impressions of themselves. They all admire attractive people that everyone likes, so they always hope to get in touch with others freely and make more friends. Americans don't like to obey others when interacting with others, and they don't like others to compliment themselves too politely. Americans are worried about being isolated as inaccessible by others, which means loneliness for ordinary people; For politicians, it means the failure of the election; Therefore, Americans are characterized by extensive friendship. They have a harmonious relationship with everyone and want to leave a good impression on others, but they often lack that kind of intimate friends. An American once made a very pertinent comment on this. He said: "Americans can hit it off with others and quickly win each other's favor;" But after a week, they will forget you completely. They like new things. Like their old cars, they abandoned their friends; No one knows people faster than us, but no one is more difficult to establish true friendship than us. "

The second characteristic of American character is independence and enterprising. They don't like to rely on others, and they don't like others to rely on them. Americans have developed the habit of struggling independently from their parents since childhood. In the street, you can see eleven or twelve-year-old boys delivering newspapers from door to door every morning, no matter whether it is windy, rainy or snowy. Some girls pee and go to the neighbor's house to help look after the children; Their parents all believe that it is of great benefit to let their children stand on their own feet from an early age. Children who grow up under this kind of education aim at independence and enterprising all their lives; When they are studying, they get scholarships by their own achievements and earn tuition by working; As adults, they leave their parents and start their own businesses. Once they get married and start a family, they will be more independent and must win a place in the life and death field of American society by their own skills; Young couples have children, raising them entirely by themselves, and don't expect grandma to bring grandchildren; When the children grow up, there will be a division of labor at home. Generally speaking, cooking, washing clothes and cleaning the room are mom's business, while repairing utensils, mowing the grass and brushing the car are dad's business, setting the table and washing the dishes are girls' business, and cleaning the recreation room and managing small animals are boys' business. However, in the United States, this spirit of independence often becomes the tragedy of the elderly. When the elderly lose their ability to live, the children and grandchildren who sweep the snow in front of the door rarely come to look after them; Many old people in America died in loneliness, and some even died for many days without being found.

The third characteristic of American character is pragmatism; They don't like the rambling fantasy like the French, and they don't like the arrogance like the British. The early history of the United States has created their character of not being discouraged in adversity, seeing clearly their goals and striving hard; They think there is no point in saving face and indulging in fantasy. They admire people who are smarter and better than others. They like to do everything by themselves and solve everything by themselves. Most Americans know how to use machines, repair electrical equipment, paint furniture and paint walls. They take it for granted that doing these rough jobs in life will never hurt their dignity. On the other hand, those nerds, hypocrites, talkative and talkative will be teased.

Americans are also very pragmatic in money. It is natural for Americans to get paid for their work, and it is easy to ask for help from others. So they calculate clearly in terms of labor and remuneration. Take someone else's car and share the cost of gasoline; Telephone charges should be paid for using the telephones of relatives and friends; When friends go to dinner together, they usually go Dutch. Even children have to ask for compensation for helping their mothers wash dishes at home; Parents have to pay for meals when they go to live with their children.

The fourth characteristic of American character is that it attaches great importance to the value of success. It is often said that the American character is formed in a fierce competitive environment. Living in such a fiercely competitive society, only the strong can stand out, and only by defeating all opponents can we succeed. In the eyes of Americans, what matters is not a person's family background, but his own talent and ability; Even a child, in order to please his parents, should try his best to excel in school; They also seem to understand that being loved by their parents is not an innate right, but a trophy gained through their own efforts.

If you compare the United States with Britain, you will find a very interesting phenomenon: in Britain, if you ask a person's identity, you will get a long list of ancestors' names and titles; There, a person's birth often determines his fate. In the United States, when someone introduces you in detail, they will only say "this is the best-selling author" or "this is the tennis champion of a school", and they will never show off their genealogy, which is related to American history. In the colonial period of North America, there was no fixed position and traditional rank, and one could only get ahead by success. American President Lincoln once said humorously, "I don't know who my grandfather is, but I am more concerned about what his grandson will be like." This is really a true portrayal of American characteristics; Another feature of Americans is that they are active and active. They always pursue novelty, constantly change their environment and seek excitement in adventure. They are never satisfied with a stable life and a peaceful environment; I like sports and travel. Change careers, move, and some even like to risk their lives; In America, university professors can be company managers, and bankers can become farmers overnight. Former US President Truman worked as a farmer, grocer, officer and lawyer before entering politics. President Reagan also worked as a lifeguard, announcer and film actor.

You may have noticed that Americans are very active. People living in the central plains and midwest of the United States often drive to neighboring cities 120 km or even 160 km away, just to have dinner with friends. They went to another town for a play or a concert. Many young people go to college far from home and relatives' residence. They choose distant places just to "see another part of the country"; Americans like to travel in their own country, and they also like to travel around the world. They always want to know what it's like outside the nearby hills or nearby cities.

It is common for Americans to move. According to statistics, about 40 million people move every year in the United States, and one out of every five families moves every three years. This frequent relocation, to some extent, reflects their unaccustomed to ordinary life, eager to see new places, find new employment opportunities and achieve new success; On Saturday and Sunday, temporary advertisements for moving can be seen everywhere in the United States, and large and small items are sold at home.

In order to break the silence in life, some Americans even take a blockbuster way to fight for their lives: in those towering skyscrapers in new york, some people dare to climb in from the outside; Roaring Niagara Falls, some people dare to lie down the river in an iron pipe; The endless Atlantic Ocean, some people dare to fly by balloon, and the innovative and adventurous spirit of Americans is indeed more prominent than other nationalities.