America's Guilt
Now that the United States is waking up, I note via my wide-ranging social media panopticon that today, Americans feel guilty. There is one admission after another of guilt. Such a strong word, don't you think?
1, guilt·i·er, guilt·i·er
Especially against moral or penal law; justly subject to
Harsh stuff, no? It's what you'd feel if you'd betrayed your wife with her best friend, or embezzled funds from your company's retirement scheme to play off your gambling debts, usually. But today, America feels guilty for .... drumroll ... eating too much. It feels despoiled, foul, heavy with guilt. Ameicans this morning are traipsing off on purgative runs to burn off the calories, or trundling along on Stepmasters designed to calculate thermogenisis to the kilojoule.
Why do Americans do this to themselves? Why not just eat less, enjoy yourselves, and spare yourselves the agony? What role does this guilt play? Is it a substitute in some way for the guilt of illicit sex, which just isnt that illicit anymore?
Me, I feel fit as a fiddle, having eaten about as much as I wanted of a pizza and gone to bed early.
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Feb '11
Re: America's Guilt
I don't feel guilty. I feel grateful. I worked hard the day before to bring the foods I promised to my hosts' homes (yes, plural -- we go to my in-laws for a meal and my aunt and uncle's for dessert), attended Eucharist/Thanksgiving to start the day, brought well-behaved children along with the dishes I shared, showed up on time, avoided unpleasant discussions on controversial topics, ate what I wanted, stayed hydrated, got home safely, and slept in this morning. Yee haw.
Jan '11
Re: America's Guilt
I must not be an American.
Aug '10
Re: America's Guilt
Claire Berlinski, Ed.: But today, America feels guilty for .... drumroll ... eating too much. It feels despoiled, foul, heavy with guilt.
Is it a substitute in some way for the guilt of illicit sex, which just isnt that illicit anymore?
Pretty much.
People apparently need to feel guilty about something, and food is all that's left.
Apr '11
Re: America's Guilt
You may ask, how did this tradition start?
I'll tell you - I don't know.
But it's a tradition...
Re: America's Guilt
On Thanksgiving (and, for that matter, the next day), our house is a guilt-free zone. What substitutes is amazement. Our three-year-old out-eats the other three combined.
Aug '10
Re: America's Guilt
As George Will put it, food is the new sex.
And these folks are apparently the new saints.
May '10
Re: America's Guilt
Fortunately, we can assuage that guilt of overheating by going out the next day and overspending. At least, I think that is the supposed penance.
Feb '11
Re: America's Guilt
I’ve never really struggled with gluttony. If I ever find myself in purgatory, I expect to spend a lot more time in the other circles than I will in the circle of gluttons. So I’m not entirely sure I understand. I imagine that the following would warrant some guilt:
You plan to eat a nice, big meal on Thanksgiving but not to overdo it. Then, you get carried away. You keep eating even though you were satisfied a long time ago.
That would be a problem. And it seems like it would have an explanation similar to other moral failings. You were going to get the report done on time, but you kept procrastinating. You were going to wait until marriage, but the two of you just wanted each other so much. Etc.
If gluttony happens to be a particularly prevalent sin in American culture today (which seems plausible if not certain), then I can see why Thanksgiving might be a time of very serious temptation. You are supposed to feast. Gratitude demands it. And yet you are somehow supposed to eat moderately.
One way of dealing with this tension: fast first, then feast. Maybe.
Jul '10
Re: America's Guilt
What's this guilt thing you speak of?
Jul '10
Re: America's Guilt
Edward Winslow, Mourt's Relation :
"our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labours ; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie."
Three days they feasted; three days. I don't feel guilty about overeating for a few hours, once a year. The pilgrims' feast was hard won. So was my family's, though on a much humbler scale.
Jan '11
Re: America's Guilt
Actually, Michelle Obama should stand as the archtypal guiltridden American. I never understood that, or why anyone would vote for a presidential candidate whose spouse felt that way about America.
About America I sometimes feel regret, but never guilt. Damn proud is more like it.
Aug '10
Re: America's Guilt
Speaking of guilt, which I never feel about food anyway - I bicycled 29 miles and also mowed the lawn before dinner - do they have guilt in Turkey? I know they have shame - a Turk once told me. I ask only because I just happened across the phrase vicdani ret, which I think means "conscientious objector." I gather the idea is new, and unpopular. Maybe Turks already have guilt, and anyone who so publicly ventures to get out of obligatory military service will show himself daringly lacking this traditional blood-thinner.
Nov '11
Re: America's Guilt
Feeling well-fed, well-loved and grateful for a surfeit of blessings! (Including the community here at Ricochet.) <grinning from ear-to-ear>
Jul '10
Re: America's Guilt
Feeling guilty for eating? This reeks of liberalism to high Heaven.
Leave it to liberals for finding a reason to feel guilty for living.
Re: America's Guilt
It is, basically, a shame culture more than a guilt culture, but there are big heaping doses of guilt, too.
Oct '10
Re: America's Guilt
If there were a guilt ridden populace, that would fall upon the Germans. Now there are folks with rich customs and a tendency to indulge them.
Save one, which they will go to no end to remove.
Now there is Bag O Guilt for a peoples to deal with. A little perspective helps.
Turkey leftovers are easy to live with.
Re: America's Guilt
It was just so odd, seeing the word guilt over and over and over again on social networks in the US. You'd think everyone in America had just put his aging mother in an unsanitary nursing home.
Aug '10
Re: America's Guilt
Well, yeah. That, too. But we manage to rationalize that :-) We've gotta have something left that we don't have to rationalize, which we can use as an outlet to feast on all our pent-up guilt. Perhaps ostentatious food guilt is itself a form of self-indulgence?
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
It is, basically, a shame culture more than a guilt culture, but there are big heaping doses of guilt, too.
Come to think of it, the "diet and fitness" culture is largely a shame culture, too. Can you really feel guilty for enjoying the occasional feast -- on a feast day, no less? Can you really feel guilty for sacrificing your diet and exercise plans to take care of more important things, like caring for your family or keeping your job? But you can still feel ashamed about it.
I mean, how many of us feel bad about our gluttony or physical sloth when it doesn't change our outward appearance?
Edited on Nov 25, 2011 at 8:33pmOct '10
Re: America's Guilt
It seems the term Guilt is sold to promote permanent self loathing long term weakness of spirit.
Case in point, if one happened to hit a small child that ran out of nowhere into the street and you struck same with your car. Would you feel guilty ? Most likely, even if it were unavoidable.
Guilt is a personal thing to deal with and overcome, not a badge that is worn as an armband for others to determine ridicule of any given soul.
The simple concept of applying food consumption to guilt is absurd on its face considering the world as it is today.
Edited on Nov 25, 2011 at 8:41pmApr '11
Re: America's Guilt
What does Science! tell us? That there is a 15-minute lag between our bellies being full and our brains registering the fact?
Should we work on the propostion from the novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues that there is a fortune to be made in a "flavor machine" that continues to whelm our senses with tastes after our stomachs are full?