I imagine many people around here have known someone whose arrogance ended up being their demise. In competitive sports, jobs, academically, etc. For us of us slightly more sane, it is clear that being arrogant blinds you of your defficiencies. Without knowing where you lack, it is impossible to improve.
Cultural arrogance in the US takes the form of the toxic “America is the best country in the world”, “We are #1” , etc. which is a deviation from a perhaps healthier form of patrotism based on love. I think this arrogance is at the foundation of our society cracking.
My dad lives in a very conservative area in the midwest. He is the typical white christian that's insanely pro America. It doesn't matter what social issue we are talking about (homelessness, school shootings, healthcare, higher education, wealth inequality, etc), his conclusion is always the same: “we are still the best at X”.
I suspect this mentality is shared by politicians and people in power when they keep squeezing the American public. As if it doesn't matter how far they push, we somehow magically will remain #1. They fail to see the relationship between the economic and educational opportunities that made America “great” originally and somehow believe this position is godsent. I really think they believe America will remain a “great” country regardless of what they do to it because of some relationship between god and America in their heads. They are slowly choking the goose that lais golden eggs and they don't even know it.
My mom is not American and I grew up the first half of my life in Mexico (but I was born in the US). I was always politically inclined being the son of 2 different nationalities. The relationship between economic opportunities, education and poverty were a little bit more obvious to me I think than most average Americans. It is truly a crime what these people have done to our country.
America had (has?) the opportunity to be a truly great country. A country that does good rather than evil. But I think that for this to be the case, our society needs to learn humility first.