A Reminder: Everybody Cheats – The New Ethic

To paraphrase: the characteristics that are widely admired and encouraged in American culture are those of the mentally ill – self aggrandizement, fantasies of omnipotence, manipulation and betrayal of others, and obsessive pursuit of narrow goals (fame and money).

Money-obsessed Americans are considered role models. Switch the obsession (e.g., sex, drugs, gambling, violence) and they would be considered sick people. Thus we have elevated a kind of mental disease, money obsession, to the role of the chief virtue in our society. This is our central problem.