In the text “The American cultural configuration”, the authors express the desire of anthropologists to study their own culture despite the difficulty one encounters when attempting to subjectively analyze one's own Company. Holmes and Holmes (2002) use the adage “not being able to see the forest through the trees” (p. 5) to refer to how difficult it is for someone to study something they largely take for granted. acquired. Holmes' article focuses primarily on paradoxes within our own culture, many of which we do not notice. Paradoxically, two contradictory statements can seem true at the same time. This essay focuses on two common paradoxes in daily life: the individual versus the family and religion. When we think of family, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you only thought about your parents or loved ones, you may have been caught in an “individual versus family” paradox. Almost all cultures consider family important, but “many Americans have never met all of their cousins” (Holmes & Holmes, 2002, p. 19). We say we're family oriented, but not caring about meeting all of our extended family seems to contradict that. Individual freedoms, achievements, and goals are all American ideals that push the idea of ​​individualism. What is important to note is that family, or even the concept of family itself, does not appear in any of these ideals. Holmes and Holmes (2002) observe that “yesterday's family reunions are now rare and when they do occur, they are often a source of stress.” (p. 19) This quote reinforces one of the reasons why today's family interactions are: they are simply too stressful, so we avoid them. What place does marriage occupy in our individual culture? Marriage itself is perhaps less a family unifying event than a means for two individuals to achieve personal happiness; the increasing divorce rate alone seems to suggest a devaluation of commitment to a relationship. Similarly, Holmes and Holmes (2002) state that “marriage is in fact a continuation of courtship” (p. 19). In my opinion, I should agree with the authors on family and marriage, considering the facts and trends mentioned above. . If we as a nation can place the individual so far above our own parents, are we not creating a future of selfishness? Religious views are virtually unquantifiable in themselves, but their effects are entirely measurable..