The Values Americans Live By
by L. Robert Kohls
xxx Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are that Americans live by. They have never given the
matter much thought.
xxx Even if Americans had considered this question, they would probably, in the end, decide not to answer in terms of a definitive list of values.
The reason for this decision is itself one very American value—their belief that every individual is so unique that the same list of values could
never be applied to all, or even most, of their fellow citizens.
xxx Although Americans may think of themselves as being more varied and unpredictable than they actually are, it is significant that they think
they are. Americans tend to think they have been only slightly influenced by family, church or schools. In the end, each believes, "I personally
chose which values I want to live my own life by." Despite this self-evaluation, a foreign anthropologist could observe Americans and produce a
list of common values that would fit most Americans. The list of typically American values would stand in sharp contrast to the values commonly
held by the people of many other countries.
xxx We, the staff of the Washington International Center, have been introducing thousands of international visitors to life in the United States for
more than a third of a century. This has caused us to try to look at Americans through the eyes of our visitors. We feel confident that the values
listed here describe most (but not all) Americans.
xxx Furthermore, we can say that if the foreign visitor really understood how deeply ingrained these 13 values are in Americans, he or she
would then be able to understand 95% of American actions—action that might otherwise appear strange or unbelievable when evaluated from
the perspective of the foreigner’s own society and its values.
xxx The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic...