While Thanksgiving is often viewed as a time for gratitude and family values, it can also perpetuate complacency and limit societal progress through the normalization of dystopian trends and reinforcement of traditional family values.
The normalizing complacency of our system: Thanksgiving's focus on gratitude for what we have can create a sense of contentment within individuals and society. This contentment may lead to a lack of motivation for change and improvement. The holiday becomes a tool for diverting attention away from social and systemic issues, allowing the status quo to persist
The normalization of dystopian trends: With the commercialization of Thanksgiving, society has been conditioned to embrace excessive consumption, leading to a culture of materialism and overindulgence. This normalization of excessive consumption can have detrimental effects on the environment, perpetuate economic inequalities, and foster a sense of entitlement rather than gratitude.
Reinforcement of traditional family values: Thanksgiving often emphasizes the importance of traditional family structures and values, which can be exclusionary and limiting for individuals and society. This emphasis may reinforce gender roles, heteronormativity, and traditional power dynamics within families, inhibiting progress in areas such as gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
By critically examining the complacency-inducing aspects of Thanksgiving, we can encourage a more nuanced understanding of gratitude and foster a collective responsibility for societal progress. We should strive to express gratitude and strive for improvement not only on Thanksgiving but also throughout the year, promoting a more inclusive and dynamic society.