As I write this, I’m sitting at one of the many red tables littered throughout Times Square. There can be nothing more New Yorker than that. And that’s something I’ve always prided myself on – being a true New Yorker, born and raised. Still, I usually I avoid this tourist trap. But when writing about “American exceptionalism,” I felt I needed to be somewhere undoubtedly American.

First let’s talk about what I like to call “New York exceptionalism” – the belief that we, as New Yorkers are superior to those from other states. Whether this is true or not, I’ll leave you to debate. But most New Yorkers should know what I’m talking about. It’s when we (city folk) make jokes about “rednecks” and “hicks” form anywhere that isn’t our state. Or support our Yankees and Mets and Giants and Rangers to the point of bloodshed (Boston I will fight you!). Or call other people’s ways of walking (and really, ways of life) as being too slow. Or endlessly teasing our neighbors across the river. Ugh. Jersey.

We feel superior – we live in the supposed “melting pot” (Moynihan and Glazer, I’m looking at you!) where we’ve flourished under the influence of hundreds of cultures and beliefs. Many proud New Yorkers believe themselves to be better-educated, more conscientious, and fully well-rounded compared to others just because of the diverse atmosphere they grew up in. And it’s this belief that sometimes makes New Yorkers think they have the right to do things non-natives don’t – be rude, push people, steal taxis, be cutthroat on the subway, give tourists wrong directions on purpose. They are the exceptions when it comes to the rules of common courtesy. (Well, at least in the eyes of outsiders. I must admit I’ve given the nod of approval to my compatriots who hustle past turtle tourists.)

I’m sure each state and even every neighborhood has their own version of exceptionalism in some way. It’s just what happens when people have something in common, whether it be location, ethnicity , or beliefs.

So “American exceptionalism” is basically the same thing, just on a national level. I recently stumbled upon the term in Christian Appy’s American Reckoning, and it’s one of those things you intrinsically have known about your whole life, but just never could name. The term came about during the 1960’s and was attached to the Vietnam War. It’s used to describe how the American people had faith that their government and their country were the “good guys.” Always. The Vietnam put a kibosh on that sentiment for a while though as people found themselves mired in a war they believed immoral. We were no longer the country to always be trusted to do what was right and just in their eyes, and mistrust of the government grew. And people still harbor that mistrust.

Fast forward to present day. Does “American exceptionalism” still exist? Yes. While people do still have less faith in the government than they did before the 1960’s, it hasn’t stopped them from feeling that American sense of entitlement that other countries believe we reek of. Sure, most Americans know that our country isn’t always in the right when it comes to foreign and domestic policies. But I also think there is still an existing culture of Americans thinking they are better than the rest of the world. And I am not excluding myself from this – I’ve thought it many times concerning many different situations (and I'm sure I was wrong just as many times as I was right).

There are many words for this culture. Nationalism. Pride in one’s country. And less flattering ones like arrogance and ignorance. It’s hard to pick one side. On one hand, I’m incredibly patriotic and thankful for the many great things America has afforded me as one of her citizens. But on the other hand, I’m not blind – I know we’re quite behind in terms of progressiveness and doing the just thing.

Can there ever be a time where our national identity is unified in this belief of a middle-ground? Where instead of hating our country to the point of ignoring its good qualities, or loving it to the point of dismissing its faults, we can instead all agree that our country, like each of us, is made of good and bad. But just because we’re not perfect doesn’t mean we give up or demolish everything we’ve worked hard for. I want to get to a point in where America has a real reason to see itself as an exception again, a point where I can be proud of how we’ve overcome our faults and strengthened the traits that make other nations admire us. And getting us to that point? That is the responsibility of every US citizen.

“We the people of the United States” – That’s us. Make it count.