Best at What? The Myth of American Exceptionalism

Ryan Haylett

Why does everything in America have to be the biggest, the fastest, the—supposedly—the best? Like, what is it with us needing that gold star sticker slapped on, even when... let’s be honest, the world isn’t exactly lining up to copy how we do, uh, healthcare or schools or whatever. I was talking to a colleague recently, and he put it perfectly: "If you walk around with this mentality that you’re already the best, you never bother looking at where you might suck." He said it nicer, but you get the idea.

Ryan Haylett

We’ve built this whole national attitude where questioning the system is somehow a betrayal. Like, if you dare to ask why we’re the only advanced country where one medical bill could bankrupt you, or even the slightest criticism of their favorite politician, suddenly you’re ‘unpatriotic’ or you get that classic, "If you don’t like it, MOVE!"

Ryan Haylett

I mean… come on. Is wanting things to work better really that radical? That’s not betrayal, that’s literally what makes you a grown-up in any other part of your life.

Ryan Haylett

Actually, I’d argue that real patriotism isn’t just waving a flag or singing about rockets. It’s demanding better—for everyone. That whole ‘love it or leave it’ thing is just a neat way to shut people up, keep them from asking why things don’t add up. You wouldn’t tell your mechanic, "Don’t touch my car, it’s fine as-is," if the engine’s smoking. Same logic.

Ryan Haylett

Building on what we talked about in some earlier episodes, a lot of these myths are how the system digs in its heels, and resists improvement. If you’re always ‘the best’ by definition, you don’t believe you need to fix anything. Pretty convenient for folks in charge, right?

Ryan Haylett

Let’s dig into some hard truth, because when you follow the numbers, things start looking a little, uh, less exceptional. Here’s the deal: America spends about double—double!—what other developed countries pay on healthcare. And the punchline is, we have worse results. Like, life expectancy, infant mortality, chronic illnesses—pick your stat, we’re somewhere at the bottom of the OECD pile.

Ryan Haylett

Don’t just take my word for it—this is straight from the OECD, the WHO, anyone who’s halfway credible with a clipboard. Japan, for example, people there live years longer than Americans, and they spend a whole lot less. The Netherlands? Mental health care is integrated, universal. Everyone can get help—no hoops, no getting shook down by three insurance middlemen first.

Ryan Haylett

And here’s where someone always jumps in: "But taxes are so much higher!"

Ryan Haylett

Well, sure, in some places you pay a little more in taxes—but it’s still less, way less, than what Americans end up spending on premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket costs, nickel-and-diming visits, the whole medical mafia protection racket.

Ryan Haylett

but that’s another episode.

Ryan Haylett

You look at places like Canada, they’ve got a public option. Japan’s about preventative medicine, and staying healthy before you get sick. The US? We seem addicted to believing that just gutting it out, or buying a better plan, is how you get decent care. All while entire families lose houses to a single surgery. So, how’d we end up with the most expensive, least effective system? Maybe more importantly—what’s stopping us from borrowing ideas that actually work? Is it pride, lobbyists, fear of change? I mean, it’s got to be a cocktail of all that stuff. But the magical thinking? That’s the biggest hurdle.

Ryan Haylett

What really sticks with me is how this colleague I mentioned in the beginning of the episode—he really had a point about how deep this "best" thing goes. We bake it into everything. Not just how we talk, but how we sell, how we vote, hell, how we watch TV. You ever notice those "USA" chants at the Olympics or Super Bowl ads saying we lead the world in, I dunno, freedom or burgers or whatever we’re selling this year? Presidential speeches do the same thing—USA #1, no qualifiers, no room for nuance or reality checks.

Ryan Haylett

Here’s the problem: this obsession with being ‘number one’ makes it basically impossible to reflect or adapt. Finland has the world’s best education system, South Korea’s beating us on tech infrastructure, but which country shouts the loudest about being the best? The U S of fucking A, of course. There’s a massive gap between the branding—what we tell ourselves—and the actual scoreboard.

Ryan Haylett

Honestly, it kind of reminds me of my early days when I founded Modularity.

Ryan Haylett

If you want a laugh, just imagine green American me pitching seasoned, brutally practical European tech founders why our way was the gold standard. Like, every inch of American bravado versus people who measure success by outcomes, not vibes. The only way I actually started getting better was by admitting I had a ton to learn, grabbing honest feedback, and stealing all the best ideas I could from companies who were getting results. The best isn’t something you are—it’s something you build, with a lot of humility.

Ryan Haylett

So I think the myth—this whole "we’re the best" thing—doesn’t just sell car commercials and campaign buttons; it keeps us stuck. Stuck thinking the checkbox "American" means automatic victory, when sometimes we could just use a good look in the mirror. Maybe then we’d be the country we keep saying we are.

Ryan Haylett

I’m not giving up hope—we’re bruised, but we’re not done.