I think the most genuine mode of American culture (even for normies) is a shared alienation from an imaginary American culture
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I don’t think this is true. Basic moaning about zeitgeist is not alienation. It’s actually interestingly clear to foreigners/immigrants because any native interacting with us either goes unironic “real” American or displays true alienation by not treating us any differently.
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Alienation happens when a shared identity consciousness with a group collapses and you are unable to form an “us” field against the true outsider and code-switch in true alien interactions. There’s a reason the word has “alien” in it. You become an alien.
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Like you can’t be alienated from a native Chinese banana in Beijing for example. That’s just actual mutual alienness which is much simpler
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Alienation is a special case derealization I think and fairly rare. I’ve only met a handful of truly alienated Americans.
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