What Happened to Our Shared American Values?

Remember when Americans only argued about baseball or who had the best hot dogs: Chicago or New York? Those were the salad days.

Photo by Tom Greene

As we approach Independence Day, an American holiday loaded with baseball and hot dogs, I’m mindful of the ties that bind. The things that bind us together as a nation. Things like patriotism, family, friendship and faith in a higher power. Those long-held American values that define us and make America great. (They also form the foundation of every good country music song.) But, as we approach Independence Day in the United States, we are seeing a rising level of, well, independence. And, a sense that people are abandoning these long-held values.

A recent Wall Street Journal/NORC survey suggests that the long-held values of patriotism, family and faith are in full retreat.

Patriotism

Today, only 38% of Americans say that patriotism is very important” to them. That’s down from 70% in 1998. Now I think we can both agree that that the term “patriotism” has been co-opted by politicians. Conservative and progressive politicians, mired in their own ideological warfare, have co-opted patriotism. As if having a differing opinion on thorny issue is a litmus test for your patriotism. Hogwash.

That kind of co-opting may lead some to suggest that “patriotism” isn’t their jam anymore. I wonder if they’ve truly abandoned patriotism or if they’ve simply abandoned the politicized version of it.

Courtesy of Jason Richard via Unsplash

Faith

Twenty five years ago, 62% of people felt that religion was very important. Today, that number is only 39%.

I think that decline has less to do with religion and more to do with our institutions. We’ve lost trust in public, private, political and religious institutions. One might argue that some of this mistrust has been earned. That’s fair. We’ve all lived through the church scandals and corporations putting profit over principle. And, we all watched the rich & famous in Hollywood lie, cheat & steal to get their kids into top-tier schools, like Stanford and Yale. Yes, much of this distrust is well-deserved.

Photo by Tom Greene

Still others turn away from the church because they find the bible’s teaching offensive. But, as Tim Keller once wrote, “to stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't have any views that upset you.

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Setting the malfeasance and offensiveness aside for a moment, consider that nearly every religion on the planet touts the virtues of generosity, gratitude and friendship. Three natural antidotes to loneliness, anxiety and depression. Even in light of the tremendous attributes of organized religion, people are turning away. Such a shame.

Photo by Tom Greene

I wrote more about that in a piece called Why We Lost Trust in Our Institutions.

Friendship

With this lack of patriotism and loss of faith, it’s not surprising that 71% of Americans are less confident in each other than they were 20 years ago. Most claim that other people simply aren’t as reliable as they once were. Some respondents say that we simply don’t need each other as much as we used to. But, researchers have found that lonely people are 50% more likely to die prematurely than those with healthy. social relationships.

Loneliness can be deadly. First, it reduces your immunity. Second, it increases inflammation, which can increase your risk of disease. But, most importantly, social disconnection can lead to anxiety and depression.

All the lonely people

Where do they all come from?

All the lonely people

Where do they all belong-

The Beatles

According to Dr. Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, loneliness and weak social connections are associated with reduced lifespan similar to smoking 15 lung darts a day. Today, an astounding 50% of all Americans are experiencing some level of loneliness.

Is it any surprise that a new, Gallup poll suggests that 1 in 3 Americans have been diagnosed with Depression in their lifetime? That’s ten points higher than 2015. (Blink twice if depression has ever held you hostage.) Today, 17.8% of the American population suffers from Depression. These are the highest rates of Depression ever recorded by Gallup.

The orange M&M is now the symbol of anxiety and depression in America. Courtesy: M&M/Mars

Children

Even having children is no longer a priority. I wrote about that in a piece called Six Reasons Why Nobody Wants Children Anymore. The percentage of Americans that believe having children is “very important” has fallen to 30% in the new poll. Twenty five years ago it was 59%.

Even more surprising is that only 1 in 5 parents feel that it’s extremely or very important for their children to have children of their own.

Can you imagine missing the joy and validation of bringing a child into the world?

In stark contrast to these surprising mega-trends, their is one thing that seems to be skyrocketing in popularity. A shocking 43% now describe money as “very important” compared to 31% in 1998.

So, if we are looking for the message here it is this. Americans now feel that money is more important than patriotism, developing a faith life, growing friendships or having children.

Alrighty, we’ve learned a lot in the past few minutes. Time to round it all up and see if I can nail the big finish.

It’s clear that we are abandoning many of our long-held traditions, institutions and values in favor of independence. As if more money and isolation could ever solve the emptiness from not pursuing a faith life. As if money could ever quiet the regret associated with not having children or replace the value of long-term friendships. As if more money could ever solve for gut-wrenching loneliness and isolation later in life. Sadly, this graphic is an excellent visual aid for what is now “Very Important” to Americans.

As you prepare to watch the fireworks this Independence Day, maybe we need to re-think the word independence. Independence doesn’t mean we can exist and thrive in a vacuum. It doesn’t mean we should abandon the principles and values that this country was founded upon: patriotism, family and friendships. And, we certainly shouldn’t abandon the Almighty in exchange for the almighty dollar. Let us all recommit to the values and principles that made this country great. Happy Independence Day!

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