In “No, You Can’t Get an Upgrade” in today’s New York Times, David Segal talks about the American drive to “upgrade” our lives. He notes that this drive is so basic to our American psyche that we barely notice it and that it drives the consumerism of our culture.
I would say that the characteristic that is embedded in our cultural DNA is “improvement”. Improve everything. Better filing systems, the shortest drive to work, faster services at McDonald’s, more value for less money, increased automation, etc. All the things that drive productivity improvements and increase profit margins. And I think this drive to improve is a desirable attribute that generally delivers positive consequences, though it personally makes me completely crazy, all the time.
