You can be just as happy in the USA as you can overseas.

[International Gringo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h76sIU5RE8

I dont know what it is with these type of guys. Every time I tell my American friends that I spend half the year overseas, a few of them will start lecturing me about how everything i am looking for i can get right here in the USA. All the p***y, inner peace and social attention that i need are right here in the USA. Its always the guys who have never left the country who will tell you this and they will tell you how successful they are because they are living proof of the American dream (by marrying a 40 year old single mother, buying houses with money they dont have, maxing out their credit cards on boats, etc). Do you guys think its a misery loves company mentality?

[The_Adventurer]

Harry Browne calls it the Previous Investment Trap. They've already sunken so much into it that they can't let it go.

[gnosis]

Harry Browne calls it the Previous Investment Trap. They've already sunken so much into it that they can't let it go.

Sunk cost fallacy is another way to phrase it.

[Ghost]

.

[Eric]

I get what he's saying - it's all inner self anyways. If you've got your head on right (you'll be alright). But that's only so much you can do for your environment. I get sick of fighting subversion every f***ing waking day. I get sick of all the bullshit here.

Id like to move, yes.

[Winston]

Why not show them my photojournals and photo collages?

http://www.happierabroad.com/Photos.htm

[jamesbond]

"Greatest country in the world!" is the refrain of those who have never been outside of it.

Exactly, studies show most Americans have never been out of the United States. One guy (who has never been out of his home town let alone out of the country) told me women are the same all over the world.

[gnosis]

"Greatest country in the world!" is the refrain of those who have never been outside of it.

Agreed. I have never heard anybody outside of the U.S. refer to the U.S. as the "greatest country in the world."

[onethousandknives]

You need a lot of money to be happy in USA. I'd say about 200K or more household income for a family. Barring a lot of money, a lot of debt, which will make you unhappy. This isn't even breaking the cultural or political issues we're now facing here. But I'd actually agree that USA is a pretty kickass place if you do have a lot of money.

The other thing too is simply leveraging your skills. Do you think Chinese, or even Vietnamese or Thai restaurant owners for that matter, were master chefs in their home country? Usually they weren't, but they can cook better than people here who can only press 2:00 on a microwave, and even if white people could cook the foods just as well, people want it served by an Asian for authenticity sake. So I see English teaching and other kinds of businesses you could set up in foreign countries being much the same. You have a skill you can leverage that would be unremarkable in your home country but you can use in another to bring you to a higher station in society than you could have otherwise been if you stayed behind.

This type of phenomenon happens with everything really, The classic example is the band Cheap Trick. Moderately popular in USA, hugely popular in Japan. Just because you don't do well in one place doesn't mean you can't in another. What would happen if Cheap Trick found out they were popular in Japan and then decided "no no, we'll not release albums there and instead we'll concentrate on USA more, because we're from USA..."

[Eric]

One thing really struck me, today. I had one of those rare moments when you "wake up" in a sense, and sort of come back to yourself. Somehow, I'd snapped back to my old "self" - the way I used to be. Before I was Politically Correct, or absorbed any of that bull. I felt happy and myself, and wanted to just enjoy the world. I walked outside in this "my old" mindset - and was shocked to find just how controlled, "mean" and completely socialistic people seem to be. I also felt disturbing energy coming at me, if I didn't play along. It's almost as if you're the enemy, just for being you! If you have a happy, content, serene look on your face -people will hate you and see you as the "enemy", it's almost as if they are resentful it's not them.
You're seen as backward/old.... the "enemy" because you are seen as conservative - which is demonized by media etc. It's really an unfair appraisal! I feel bad that I sold out - a long time ago, but I did to survive, as many do.
I wish to take it back. I'd rather be alone and miserable and lonely, than just give up my freedom to act like part of this mass.
I thought back to what truly makes me happy. Most of it I experienced as younger. It comes from a rich individual experience and inner life. People don't have that anymore/ they've sacrificed it for the Social fitting - in thing. It comes from making your own decisions, having autonomy, your own emotions and doing your own things - being alive. So many people are not! They've given it up...that's why they look like shells of people walking around, clueless - empty soulless robots with no stress because they have no lives!

Anyway I know this is right and I don't want to go back. ...There is so much pressure to conform, though. It's unreal. I think people have convinced themselves they are happier this way, when they really to a sane person look unhappy and controlled. This only in America. I honestly doubt myself, and don't know what to think sometimes. I think "well maybe I'm wrong, this new way is right" just trying to justify how so many people have changed around me. It makes you question yourself... I hate it/that.
People don't seem to be freethinking or free doing anymore; if you do this, join this groupthink, you automatically lose that - or at least a piece of it. No question. You're playing along .....and so your happiness will be tied in with a large bulk of people, and won't really be :happiness." I don't think people experience things in the personal sense anymore.
We have literally converted over to socialism. Many people just say things, repeat things they've heard, or say what they're supposed to say to sound correct, happy or right. It's what gets them accepted.

Don't expect any logic here. I'm still figuring this out. I'm just glad I'm out of that Marxist University environment - that was hell, and went through the process of losing my self, giving up my individuality - and losing my autonomy. I can't tell you how painful and destructing it was for me, being naïve, to try to keep subjecting myself to Marxists in their environment and wondering why I wasn't feeling okay. It was basically the destruction of my personality, that's how brainwashing works. ...I should've got the hell out of there. Or at least had enough sense to keep my boundaries and prudence to accept and respect and keep my distance from theirs.
Once again, not walking away from wisdom.

[Hero]

I dont know what it is with these type of guys. Every time I tell my American friends that I spend half the year overseas, a few of them will start lecturing me about how everything i am looking for i can get right here in the USA. All the p***y, inner peace and social attention that i need are right here in the USA. Its always the guys who have never left the country who will tell you this and they will tell you how successful they are because they are living proof of the American dream (by marrying a 40 year old single mother, buying houses with money they dont have, maxing out their credit cards on boats, etc). Do you guys think its a misery loves company mentality?

I think those guys just believe what they're told to believe, rather than try to think for themselves. They were told by their culture that the USA is the greatest country in the world with the hottest women, so they think that it must be so. They probably also believe that men should be allowed to use the bathroom with little girls because they feel like a woman.

[Ghost]

.

[jamesbond]

You can be just as happy in the U.S. as long as you don't care about:

-Dating
-Sex
-Relationships
-Community
-Free Speech
-Friendship
-Good Jobs
-Opportunities
-Being a Second-class Citizen

Other than those things, this is a great place!

That is all true!

[Eric]

I feel like a few things happen in America that contribute & add up to it not being a fun place - or it fronting like it's awesome and a lot of fun, but not really (it's an illusion). This may get a little conspiratorial, but bear with me.
First, this is a very HIGH energy place. Even when you're walking on the streets at night...there is this energy all around you everywhere. It's everywhere you go, it feels real good, at first - but right when you tap into it; starts to feel immediately bad, like you're losing control or something. It feels exciting, addicting, enthralling...like everyone's doing it. But, I noticed when I give myself over to that two things start to happen, immediately:

1. I start to lose control.
2. You become intensely prone to suggestion/malleability.

I'm not sure why exactly, this happens but I think it has to do with the extreme state of arousal/excitement. Neither of these things, obviously, are good or precipitate you being calm or in control. And you lose autonomy and power when you lose control - so the only solution is to amp it up more to try to keep up with your surroundings to gain control, or to try not to lose face; it's a vicious cycle. That's why Americans do stupid things. When you are suggestible, you are intensely prone to groupthink and you will do things you wouldn't normally do. There's also a need to do what everyone else is doing, because it is a huge group dynamic.

The difficult thing is that, initially - this feeling of excitement feels like a positive thing; but we can see it is not. When you start to feel yourself slip out of yourself, that is bad. No matter what anyone says. I don't know what produces such an environment - but it must be socialization, the media, music, tv, and them just constantly PUSHING this "hype" to be in this kind of a 'state' all of the time, and not to be out of it. I've read research that says they (researchers, scientists) have figured out ways to use frequencies to match human emotional states- and can trigger you into a state of fear, panic, anxiety, happiness, pleasure or whenever they want. This research has been around for awhile - and it's well established. I think it must be some frequencies in our environment that "make" us like this; ie cell towers, wifi, cell phones, music, radio, etc. It is also probably chemicals in the food, water, and also maybe the air. I think social conditioning plays a huge role. The scientists also know that this makes us very, very suggestible. I also feel that individualization adds to this - everyone is so just in their own bubble that they are afraid to connect and there's an initial hostility/nervousness which gets in the way of connection or relating openly & freely, but you have to move on before it thaws, and there's also a stigma attached to you actually working it "out" and getting close to someone, its seen as creepy, unnecessary and it's inappropriate to go beneath the surface for some reason, or everyone will stare at you. You have to be constantly moving, novel. It's as if Americans have been conditioned somehow to be aversive to intimacy, like someone or something doesn't want us being close to each other or, connecting.
As social researchers have found that if you keep someone constantly moving, constantly alerted, agitated, they are unable to think and are highly suggestible. Much bombardment with stimuli produces this effect, and has everyone running around like a chicken with their head chopped off. Military trainers have known this forever. Disorient and confuse someone, yell at them loudly for long enough - they will get frightened and anxious, and do anything you want them to do.
Anyways, just my thoughts. I think that disregard the hype, it is good to always remain calm. The illusion of hyped up energy feels good, but it doesn't lead anywhere - It certainly doesn't lead to you getting women, as women are attracted to more calm, masculine and controlled men. It makes you feel like you're going to get a lot, but it doesn't. You'll also act like an idiot, lose respect etc.
I feel like other cultures, Philippines, are naturally baseline calmer and there is not this crazy energy everywhere, so it's easier for people to act natural, and the women act naturally. Relationships are aloud to flourish - instead of being constantly interrupted by something.

Anyway, it's a trick house trap, don't fall for it. Wait till you get somewhere like the Philippines and you can really enjoy yourself, and be free - minus all the bullshit.

[Wolfeye]

Eric: I'd suggest the book Bureaucratic Insanity to you. It makes a lot of points & it needn't apply only to the workplace. The trends in a culture can work the same way.