Frequality

It's a neologism I just came up with to describe the strange synthesis in modern America between two antithetical notions:  freedom and equality.  We supposedly champion these ideals to the extreme, yet they chafe against each other because freedom can and does produce inequality.  People who are free to pursue their God-given talents will soon discover that God does not parcel out talent in the same types or quantities -- some will earn more money, speak and write more coherently, become astronauts, run faster, shoot straighter, and so on.

Because modern America values equality more than freedom, though, we find the most enthusiasm centered on the kind of freedom that is accessible to everyone and does not threaten equality.  And what kind of freedom is accessible to everyone?  The libertine kind, otherwise known as self-indulgence.  Tattoos, body piercings, unconventional hairstyles and clothing, bizarre hobbies, promiscuity and sexual experimentation, are all preferred forms of "freedom" that demand no talent and thus do not threaten to establish hierarchies of value or achievement.

A seeming counter-example is the modern obsession with celebrities such as professional athletes, actors, and singers.  But if we take a closer look it becomes obvious that such people are not celebrated for their excellence (and I would submit that modern actors and singers are decidedly NOT excellent, but that's beside the point); instead, such people are celebrated because they entertain and titillate the masses.  The masses view such people as their own, as in "my football team" or "my favorite singer," so the celebrity provides yet another outlet for mindless and non-threatening frequality.

The scorn directed at the "nerd" -- which is a fairly recent phenomenon, by the way -- is a stark example of how frequality denounces those whose individualism threatens to go places where the masses cannot follow.  If you want to fit into modern America, be free, but try to avoid using that freedom in any serious or constructive way.  Oh, and if you're still wondering why the economy is collapsing, there's not much I can do to help you.