Damn them Reds!

So this certainly isn't true about all Americans, but in general, after living here for a while, I've found that we definetely have a certain mentality about life.
That is to say, we tend to have one life plan in mind and if someone doesn't follow it, well then you suck. Hard.

I would never call myself a traditional person, and I don't know anyone else that would either, but I've gotten that comment a lot here.

When I met my friend's brother, Pablo, who is 20, lives at home with his parents, and doesn't go to school, my first thought was: those poor parents. They must be so ashamed.
When my friend told me about her brother who just had a baby, Jona, with his girlfriend, and isn't planning on getting married, my first thought was: that poor baby. It's going to have a terrible life.
When I found out that my Spanish parents here aren't married, I honestly felt physically ill.

But why is that?
On the contrary, Pablo's parents love having him in the house. Jona's parents will be together and love eachother all the same as if they were married. And my Spanish parents don't take care of their children any less because they're not married.

A comment I've gotten about Americans here often, is that they all have it stuck in their heads that their way is the best, and that other lifestyles are less valuable. No one here understands why I think it's funny when people dress in goth, nor do they understand my contempt for people without a college education.

Better put, I'M the one who doesn't understand. Because they understand better that everyone has his one life, and therefore own decisions, and in one way do these decisions need to follow any sort of social norm.
I know many American people that would say a society like that can't function, but then, it does.

It's certainly true though that we've been programmed. I'd be hard-pressed to find 5 students in my school that haven't been taught the magic formula: High School, College, Good Job, Spouse, House, Kids, rinse and repeat.

We're living in a shampoo commercial.