For many Americans, [Dick Meyer, author of the 2008 book Why We Hate Us: American Discontent in the New Millennium]…says, the challenge of near total life freedom …has been that shedding old ties and traditions turns out to be easier than finding meaningful new ones; forming a modern ‘lifestyle’ often ends being narcissistic and consumerist.”
This choice overload, Meyer says, “has proven to be spiritually hollow. We’ve found nothing to replace community, hard morality, religion and vocational pride to guide us through life. We’re existentially in the dark.”