Growing up in American culture, emotions are not exactly held in high regards.

From the movies we watch to the way we communicate with one another, America doesn't have a touch-feel-good societal normal. I remember growing up I always felt so much pressure to achieve high accolades in school, perform well in sports, and be in charge of committees and organizations.

As someone who is a relaxed person, I didn't enjoy the stress of having to always compete with others.

Now as I have learned more about American culture in comparison with other cultures, I realized there are some fundamental differences. For one, America is an individualistic society. That is not to say we are all narcissists, but we much more care about the advancement of ourselves rather than the advancement of other people. Just to give an example of this think about the way our education system is set up. This idea of putting on a perfect image and masking inner impurities contributes to the shaping of our society.

There are masculine expectations that men are told to uphold. I noticed that I had never seen a single one of my guy friends cry before. Most of my friends are guys too. They have seen me shed a tear or two. One could argue that I am just a more emotional person because there is no doubt about that. But overall, I have rarely ever seen a man cry. Why?

A big contributor to this misconception is the idea that people who express emotions are seen as weaker. However, being able to express how you feel is not a weakness.

Another aspect of the seriousness of American society can be seen in the movies produced. Why do you think Romantic Comedy is one of the most prominent genres. Yet, no very many people care about movies that are strictly romantic. It is fun to make fun of romance, but to encourage it is not normal.

I admit I am the first person in the room to complain when Hallmark Christmas is on. The stories seem overly romantic and unrealistic, but in some cultures, romance and emotions are natural and openly expressed. Our society is not romantic because, in a whirlwind of facades, we are not comfortable showing inner feelings.

Telling people how you feel when you feel it is healthy. Having emotions are healthy. Keeping things bottled it will be of no benefit to anyone.

There are good and bad components of living in an individualistic culture. A negative aspect of this type of society is the lack of emotions people feel is acceptable to express.