American Exceptionalism

Someone please explain to me what is meant by "American exceptionalism" and why it matters so much to so many that we TALK about it?

To me, we either ARE exceptional or we AREN'T. If we ARE, that's great, and we don't need to talk about it. If we AREN'T, no amount of telling ourselves we are is going to change that.

So why get upset when one politician or another fails to use the term? We should always be working to be the best we can be. To me, even if we ARE exceptional, labeling ourselves as such just sows the seeds of resting on our laurels and perhaps losing the very thing we prize, because we've now told ourselves we have it and stop striving for it.

It's a buzz word. It means nothing. And when someone tells me "This is part of what group doesn't like about politician , because he doesn't talk about American exceptionalism", this tells me that group has their priorities completely wrong.

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(In response to Gordon Goldberg, who said "What's actually sad is that those who use the term most seem to think it has something to do with American *superiority* -- but it doesn't. It has to do simply with the idea that America, being the first of the "new countries", is exceptional (as in "different") from the "old" countries of Europe.")

Gordon: That's a great point. I have much less of a problem with it if we want to use it in that context, but precisely because in that context we're NOT claiming to be BETTER.

If people wanted to talk about American Uniqueness (which is true, there are few countries in the world which are EXACTLY like any other, and so each has its own uniqueness), I'd be OK.

But you're right, implicit in the term "exceptionalism" (and what I always assumed it meant based on the context) seems to be the unstated term "excellence" as in not that America is exceptional (different) but that it is exceptionally excellent.

I really don't want to get into an argument over whether this is the best country in the world, because it's a hot button topic and if you discuss it honestly, you get a lot of blowback from people who insist you "hate America".

I just think that I'm not a big fan of going around telling people how good I am. If I'm a truly good person, most people will see that. If I'm not, telling people I am won't make it so.