Maybe it's our hypomania, just as psychologist John D. Gartner contends in "The Hypomanic Edge: The Link between a little craziness and a lot of success in America." Unlike Europe, America was settled and constantly pumped up by venturous immigrants, many of who were too hypomanic to do well, personally and professionally, in more conventional locations. So, we, and my ancestors are from Poland and Italy, have had the advantage of our out-of-the-box neuro-wiring and high energy to land on our feet, no matter what. The exceptions, of course, are those too out-there to conform to what's needed for success, e.g. the drunks, druggies, and nuts.
That advantage has provided the insulation, at least up to now, from that dark European mindset that life is something to be wary of. Institutions like the church, envious neighbors, resentful children, and our own tragic flaws can and probably will do us in. That's what my grandparents and parents believed. They never truly became "Americans."
Well, the inevitable has happened: We "Americans" are having our minds and hearts introduced to that same ugly world view. We have become essentially Europeans.
That has been speeded up by the current crisis. As Steve Lohr explains in THE NEW YORK TIMES, this economic upheaval, an equal opportunity destroyer of fortunes, careers, and trust in pedigree credentials, has accelerated change in the business world. Sure, most of us anticipated creative destruction but not so soon and not to this extent.
Amidst the creative destruction, there is plenty of reality, little of it pretty, being forced on us. In fact, some hours of the day I find myself thinking like my angst-ridden Polish grandmother. She saw possible trouble everywhere. Yeah, she was right. Father forgive me for hammering her with optimism.
At the top of the trouble pile is the realization that no human being has anything to hang onto. That includes existence which will cease. Our family can lose its money. Our credentials in education, good breeding, good jobs could become worthless. There isn't a big demand for those former BigLaw attorneys, WASPy journalists who will soon enough be cut loose from THE NEW YORK TIMES, and investment bankers. A year ago I published an e-book on that which already has been downloaded a million times Download SavingSoulsJaneGenova.
Not too far under that on the pile is the growing awareness that it could be difficult, if not impossible, to restore prosperity, the individual kind as well as the GDP. Those assuming they will find comparable jobs or get their businesses back to where they were before 2008 are discovering that just isn't happening. It may. But it may not. Starting over is so widespread a prospect that I received an assignment just last week to ghostwrite a book on that topic.
And not too far under that is the harsh fact that none of us are getting younger. As we age in these challenging times summoning the courage, energy, and hope to rebuild something, anything is not so easy. Can the over-55 re-start their lives? It's possible. T. Boone Pickens did it. So did I. But none of us who have been through that would wish that rite of passage on any human being.
Being grabbed by the throat and being forced to stare into the heart of darkness could irreversibly change what's most American about America. That's our boundless optimism, openness, and positive view of human nature. Just like our immigrant family members we could become, well, totally European. Me? I probably crossed over there in 2003 Download Geezerguts.
