India vs. U.S. = Reality vs. Energy
1. Yes we can - teenager vs. young adult:
It's great to be home in my uncle's context, despite the occasion. The social network is strong here. I really enjoy the Indian cultural environment right now. People have such strongly positive and youthful energy here - there is a lot of "yes we can" attitude to ANYthing and everything. People (not all) truly believe that anything is possible. The population is young and very dynamic. The majority urban population has seen phenomenal change in their lifetime and believes that the world is open FOR them and that they can do anything. I've come back to an India where a 19 year old can call himself a venture capitalist & a college graduate turns down a U.S. job offer! Where a maid refuses work at a household based on value differences. High levels of optimistic & confident energy and good vibrations all around.
Today's Bangalore culture makes the U.S. seem relatively stodgy and bureaucratic. There is still plenty of energy, invention and rethinking that is laudably integral to American culture, but can often seem heavy and laden by regulations, liability issues and process controls. The Indian slash & burn progress does not have standards or rules and it's a bit more like a free for all forward run (which has its own drawbacks). From the Indian vantage point the U.S. is looking like what England must have looked like to the U.S. some 80 years ago. And just like the Brits probably appeared in the past, the U.S. can ocassionally be patronizing and blind to the rest of the world, despite the many merits there.
The energy is great, but it is also blind. The Indian development is faster than even India can properly handle. City infrastructure is burgeoned and many decisions are not properly considered. The U.S. is on the end of it's slash & burn adolescent growth spurt and is starting to look at environmental sustainability etc. While economics in India have adjusted themselves to normalize to environmental responsibility on many levels, the speed of development is the primary priority now.
The anything is possible attitude is very energizing. It liberates me to see life more clearly with more perspective on what is really important (to me) and how to focus on it. While the U.S. still has a go-getter attitude in many fields, and the common culture is still very open to thinking anew and inventing, the energy in daily logistics and family life here (India) is inspiring. Indian business culture is evolving quickly to embrace the American trait of innovation and I think is setting up to surpass it.
I feel stupider and less able to achieve in the U.S. While people stronger and smarter than me can overcome obstacles, I need to seek out wind currents on which to soar. I am only now realizing that I am tending towards fearful inertia than a contributory optimism because of my personal failures in the U.S.
2. Flexibility vs. don't fix it if it ain't broke:
Old generations of immigrants moved to the U.S. because life was higher quality and better there. This is more relative now - life in the U.S. holds material wealth, hard work, smooth infrastructure, predictable quality, and lately, consumerism. and is devoid of some important things for the human condition, such as a strong social culture.* In my experience the mainstream U.S. culture validates individual fulfilment more strongly than social bonds / obligations. I often feel overwhelmed with life in the U.S. The long commute, short daylight hours & emphasis on production output and individualism magnify my personal feeling that each day is a lonely chore. The U.S. values efficiency and productivity and I think that as a result, work is comparably inflexible. For example it seems that Indian women professionals above a certain social strata (life is still very UN-equitable for most women here) are given ample opportunties to balance work and home / family in India. By comparison, the demands on women professionals in the U.S. is far greater (although on the other hand, women through a larger section of American social strata are given far more opportunity and equitable treatment).
3. Mediocity vs. Excellence:
There's definitely a culture of greater mediocrity here in India than in the U.S. American culture still strives for excellence (while it may cause some relative slowness - it's a great thing wrt quality). In India most work is done to be "barely adequate", which results in mediocrity at best and downright shoddiness most of the time. Human life is cheap and safety controls are not built in. Liabilities are not taken seriously here. Somehow it hasn't hurt India too much (yet ? - perhaps people have tended to hone their sense of self preservation). Despite the prevailing culture of "chalta hai" (it will do / it's enough), India is still launching successful satellites quicker than any other country, and still performing at the cutting edge of many industries (think space defence).
Regardless of how this is possible within a culture of mediocrity, this unfortunate side makes it difficult to demand or get excellence. One has to accept lower standards in general - from civic sense to maintenance to infrastructure. It is only ocassionally possible to purchase better quality (anything) at very high prices. The prices of goods and services in the U.S. are high, and the quality of those items are mostly, but not 100% assured. So the Indian prices on high quality products / services (when available) appear exorbitant because of the relative comparison to the much lower prices for normal (poorer quality) goods and services. One advantage with the Indian system is that there is a wider range of goods & services on the market and one can pay the price that is appropriate for one's personal quality versus functionality needs (if one is willing to accept that it will take gobs of time to find the higher quality product - if at all). In general the U.S. doesn't offer as wide a range of quality choice and has higher standards in general. But as a result of high standards and emphasis on excellence, the "value" (intersection of price and quality) of American goods is far superior.
4. Professional contribution:
In the professional realm, the "slight adjusht" mentality means that it can be easy to shine. Even a small effort towards excellence rather than mediocrity stands out and will be noticed and applauded. There is so much going on that there are lots and lots of places to affect change in. Improvements or contributions are rewardingly easy. In this sense India is today's land of opportunity - not the U.S. (As chaibbacca comments - where there are more things that are broken, there are more things to fix.)
I personally am not satisfied with my work in the U.S. I am still young in my career, and that may be the reason that I don't feel valuable enough or rewarded enough. I don't think I am contributing to my true potential there, and the work structure and professional culture heirarchy in my field is such that I've found myself limited in what I can contribute. I think that I could feel AND BE extremely successful in a profession here (more things broke...?). I don't see enough shining potential for the professional future there although I am trying to work on that (as slowly as the my field allows). All this reaffirms my desire to return here - even for a few years.
5. Individualist self validation vs. Social tribalism
The strong social culture with filial obligations and family duty gives meaning and purpose to life. By comparison American emphasis on self validation holds less for my specific personality. The dissatisfactions and deficiencies of American life seem grosser by relative measure to available resources and infrastructure. The social disparities seem more unjust (i.e. I find myself more upset to encounter poverty & social problems in one of the wealthier nations of the world - and wonder at the circumstance despite such advanced development & advantages).
6. Personal social failure
On a very personal level, I have always thought of myself as socially adept, but I am doing poorly in my mid-western context. Indeed, I often feel that I am struggling. Regardless, it's just relieving to simply erase it from my life for a while. I am only now realizing how depressing and exhausting it is to feel social discomfort. Being home and feeling socially successful reaffirms my faith in myself. I can be myself & understood. There's a huge relief and resulting confidence that comes from that, although perhaps I learn less from challenging myself less.
7. Relative insulation vs. world perspective:
Here I can take for granted that those around me who are very aware of valid worlds and cultures outside of their own. India is a developing nation that has to fight with the teeming masses of other countries for its place in the world. As a result, it has to be more aware of the world. The U.S. is a large leader on the global scene and it shares borders with fewer countries. While it has enormous power to affect the world, on a daily level it can afford to be far less aware of the rest of the world. Especially in my specific context, many people are unaware of cultures very different from their own and they have a healthy skepticism of the validity or usefulness of cultures that are very different from their own. Sometimes this adds to my personal social failure - in the U.S. I am inevitably the "other". Not being the "other" frees up some energy for me. I don't feel an undercurrent need to validate and justify who I am and what I believe here.
Moral of the story:
It's a happy and exciting thought to have more than one "world" open to me. It's even happier to confirm a very deep rooted sense of belonging, despite the unfortunate cause being my failure to thrive in the U.S. I want to be in a place that makes me a better & more contributing person and perhaps the challenges I face in the U.S. are wearing on me lately rather than improving me. I'm coming upon a type of Peter's plateau for my U.S life - My failures are turning to depression rather than stepping stones - unless I change something (move out of the midwest and / or explore parenthood) or challenge myself in a more constructive manner.
* As kevinmiles has alerted me to realizing - this an insultingly extremist way to express what I mean. In general my original post is far harsher and offensive than I really want to be. I apologize & have revised.
It's great to be home in my uncle's context, despite the occasion. The social network is strong here. I really enjoy the Indian cultural environment right now. People have such strongly positive and youthful energy here - there is a lot of "yes we can" attitude to ANYthing and everything. People (not all) truly believe that anything is possible. The population is young and very dynamic. The majority urban population has seen phenomenal change in their lifetime and believes that the world is open FOR them and that they can do anything. I've come back to an India where a 19 year old can call himself a venture capitalist & a college graduate turns down a U.S. job offer! Where a maid refuses work at a household based on value differences. High levels of optimistic & confident energy and good vibrations all around.
Today's Bangalore culture makes the U.S. seem relatively stodgy and bureaucratic. There is still plenty of energy, invention and rethinking that is laudably integral to American culture, but can often seem heavy and laden by regulations, liability issues and process controls. The Indian slash & burn progress does not have standards or rules and it's a bit more like a free for all forward run (which has its own drawbacks). From the Indian vantage point the U.S. is looking like what England must have looked like to the U.S. some 80 years ago. And just like the Brits probably appeared in the past, the U.S. can ocassionally be patronizing and blind to the rest of the world, despite the many merits there.
The energy is great, but it is also blind. The Indian development is faster than even India can properly handle. City infrastructure is burgeoned and many decisions are not properly considered. The U.S. is on the end of it's slash & burn adolescent growth spurt and is starting to look at environmental sustainability etc. While economics in India have adjusted themselves to normalize to environmental responsibility on many levels, the speed of development is the primary priority now.
The anything is possible attitude is very energizing. It liberates me to see life more clearly with more perspective on what is really important (to me) and how to focus on it. While the U.S. still has a go-getter attitude in many fields, and the common culture is still very open to thinking anew and inventing, the energy in daily logistics and family life here (India) is inspiring. Indian business culture is evolving quickly to embrace the American trait of innovation and I think is setting up to surpass it.
I feel stupider and less able to achieve in the U.S. While people stronger and smarter than me can overcome obstacles, I need to seek out wind currents on which to soar. I am only now realizing that I am tending towards fearful inertia than a contributory optimism because of my personal failures in the U.S.
2. Flexibility vs. don't fix it if it ain't broke:
Old generations of immigrants moved to the U.S. because life was higher quality and better there. This is more relative now - life in the U.S. holds material wealth, hard work, smooth infrastructure, predictable quality, and lately, consumerism. and is devoid of some important things for the human condition, such as a strong social culture.* In my experience the mainstream U.S. culture validates individual fulfilment more strongly than social bonds / obligations. I often feel overwhelmed with life in the U.S. The long commute, short daylight hours & emphasis on production output and individualism magnify my personal feeling that each day is a lonely chore. The U.S. values efficiency and productivity and I think that as a result, work is comparably inflexible. For example it seems that Indian women professionals above a certain social strata (life is still very UN-equitable for most women here) are given ample opportunties to balance work and home / family in India. By comparison, the demands on women professionals in the U.S. is far greater (although on the other hand, women through a larger section of American social strata are given far more opportunity and equitable treatment).
3. Mediocity vs. Excellence:
There's definitely a culture of greater mediocrity here in India than in the U.S. American culture still strives for excellence (while it may cause some relative slowness - it's a great thing wrt quality). In India most work is done to be "barely adequate", which results in mediocrity at best and downright shoddiness most of the time. Human life is cheap and safety controls are not built in. Liabilities are not taken seriously here. Somehow it hasn't hurt India too much (yet ? - perhaps people have tended to hone their sense of self preservation). Despite the prevailing culture of "chalta hai" (it will do / it's enough), India is still launching successful satellites quicker than any other country, and still performing at the cutting edge of many industries (think space defence).
Regardless of how this is possible within a culture of mediocrity, this unfortunate side makes it difficult to demand or get excellence. One has to accept lower standards in general - from civic sense to maintenance to infrastructure. It is only ocassionally possible to purchase better quality (anything) at very high prices. The prices of goods and services in the U.S. are high, and the quality of those items are mostly, but not 100% assured. So the Indian prices on high quality products / services (when available) appear exorbitant because of the relative comparison to the much lower prices for normal (poorer quality) goods and services. One advantage with the Indian system is that there is a wider range of goods & services on the market and one can pay the price that is appropriate for one's personal quality versus functionality needs (if one is willing to accept that it will take gobs of time to find the higher quality product - if at all). In general the U.S. doesn't offer as wide a range of quality choice and has higher standards in general. But as a result of high standards and emphasis on excellence, the "value" (intersection of price and quality) of American goods is far superior.
4. Professional contribution:
In the professional realm, the "slight adjusht" mentality means that it can be easy to shine. Even a small effort towards excellence rather than mediocrity stands out and will be noticed and applauded. There is so much going on that there are lots and lots of places to affect change in. Improvements or contributions are rewardingly easy. In this sense India is today's land of opportunity - not the U.S. (As chaibbacca comments - where there are more things that are broken, there are more things to fix.)
I personally am not satisfied with my work in the U.S. I am still young in my career, and that may be the reason that I don't feel valuable enough or rewarded enough. I don't think I am contributing to my true potential there, and the work structure and professional culture heirarchy in my field is such that I've found myself limited in what I can contribute. I think that I could feel AND BE extremely successful in a profession here (more things broke...?). I don't see enough shining potential for the professional future there although I am trying to work on that (as slowly as the my field allows). All this reaffirms my desire to return here - even for a few years.
5. Individualist self validation vs. Social tribalism
The strong social culture with filial obligations and family duty gives meaning and purpose to life. By comparison American emphasis on self validation holds less for my specific personality. The dissatisfactions and deficiencies of American life seem grosser by relative measure to available resources and infrastructure. The social disparities seem more unjust (i.e. I find myself more upset to encounter poverty & social problems in one of the wealthier nations of the world - and wonder at the circumstance despite such advanced development & advantages).
6. Personal social failure
On a very personal level, I have always thought of myself as socially adept, but I am doing poorly in my mid-western context. Indeed, I often feel that I am struggling. Regardless, it's just relieving to simply erase it from my life for a while. I am only now realizing how depressing and exhausting it is to feel social discomfort. Being home and feeling socially successful reaffirms my faith in myself. I can be myself & understood. There's a huge relief and resulting confidence that comes from that, although perhaps I learn less from challenging myself less.
7. Relative insulation vs. world perspective:
Here I can take for granted that those around me who are very aware of valid worlds and cultures outside of their own. India is a developing nation that has to fight with the teeming masses of other countries for its place in the world. As a result, it has to be more aware of the world. The U.S. is a large leader on the global scene and it shares borders with fewer countries. While it has enormous power to affect the world, on a daily level it can afford to be far less aware of the rest of the world. Especially in my specific context, many people are unaware of cultures very different from their own and they have a healthy skepticism of the validity or usefulness of cultures that are very different from their own. Sometimes this adds to my personal social failure - in the U.S. I am inevitably the "other". Not being the "other" frees up some energy for me. I don't feel an undercurrent need to validate and justify who I am and what I believe here.
Moral of the story:
It's a happy and exciting thought to have more than one "world" open to me. It's even happier to confirm a very deep rooted sense of belonging, despite the unfortunate cause being my failure to thrive in the U.S. I want to be in a place that makes me a better & more contributing person and perhaps the challenges I face in the U.S. are wearing on me lately rather than improving me. I'm coming upon a type of Peter's plateau for my U.S life - My failures are turning to depression rather than stepping stones - unless I change something (move out of the midwest and / or explore parenthood) or challenge myself in a more constructive manner.
* As kevinmiles has alerted me to realizing - this an insultingly extremist way to express what I mean. In general my original post is far harsher and offensive than I really want to be. I apologize & have revised.