In modern American society, people are expected to abide by certain unspoken social rules. In “How We Believe,” from Acting Out Culture, several authors take the audience through different sections of social norms to explain where these social rules and norms come from and how they impact everyday culture. In Bright-Sided, Barbara Ehrenreich explains America's optimism despite difficulties not only from the perspective of the observer, but also from the perspective of several psychologists. This theme is later reproduced in James Twitchell's Two Cheers for Materialism. Twitchell explains materialism from an optimistic yet academic point of view, arguing that materialism is actually beneficial to modern culture. Materialism and optimism are two huge parts of normal American culture. And in “How We Believe,” they are used to further support and explain social norms in American society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay American society prides itself on being strong and standing out from others. Part of what makes American society the way it is is its positive attitude. Once an American is knocked down, he gets back up, dusts off his boots and returns the favor. In the introduction to Bright Sided, Ehrenreich accurately describes American culture as naively optimistic. For example, in the summer of 2001, America was given ample warning and clear indications that a terrorist attack was underway on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. However, the FBI, the INS, President Bush, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice all ignored these warnings. They thought that such a powerful and important country with a strong economy would not be the target of such a terrible terrorist attack. They were all later accused of “failure of imagination,” as Karen Cerulo writes in her book Never Saw It Coming: Cultural Challenges to Envisioning the Worst. However, after the terrorist attack of September 11, America united as a nation and supported itself. The American people were united and together they formed a family. After this incident, American society took everything with a pinch of salt, but still kept a smile on its face. It is and always has been in American culture to maintain a positive attitude through hardship and in everyday life. Barbara Ehrenreich writes in Bright-Sided that “Americans are a “positive” people.” It is the nature of Americans to dust off their boots when they have been knocked down and move on. According to psychologists, having a positive mindset about ourselves and the world around us can increase the longevity and quality of our life. People are greatly influenced by their environment, so this conclusion makes perfect sense. But at the same time, a large number of Americans believe exactly the opposite. Scientists conducted a study on the happiness of several nations and found that many Americans are actually clinically depressed. According to these scientists, “Americans account for two-thirds of the global antidepressant market.” These statistics then beg the question: If so many Americans are clinically depressed, why does America have a reputation for being so resilient? According to Ehrenreich this reputation is supported by our “ideology”. Americans have a positive mindset about moving forward, and that is why America is one of the most prosperous and resilient nations in the world. This ideology unites people as a nation, as Americans. It forms a strong sense of patriotism among citizens. One of the reasons America has become so prosperous is because the”..