Similarities Between Jacoby And Tocqueville

Americans seem to inherently focus on individualism and self-interest, according to Caleb Jacobo and Alexis de Tocqueville. Tocqueville, a Frenchman who visited and wrote about America in the 19th century, and Jacobo, an American writing in the present day, have similar ideas despite their cultural differences. Jacob argues that this natural focus on individualism comes from America’s founders who came here in order to escape the popular statism in Europe, as he says that “America was built on the social-political ideals of Individualism” (Jacobo). There was no common culture except for the self-reliance and individualism naturally present in people who came to America from “an array of varied cultural and economic backgrounds” (Jacobo). The emphasis on doing what one could to better one’s self led to a country “where a single person could enact real and immediate change in their lives to increase the quality of life within their communities” (Jacobo). Tocqueville discusses a similar idea that he observed in Americans, that they believe that helping others helps themselves, and vice versa. “They show with complacency how an enlightened regard for themselves constantly prompts them to assist each other, and inclines them willingly to sacrifice a portion of their time and property to the welfare of the State” (Tocqueville).
Tocqueville says that Americans are willing to suffer a little bit, like enduring small setbacks, in order to preserve the whole. This American resilience that is apparently inherent in their nature is in contrast to what Tocqueville sees back home in Europe. He says that Europeans are too focused on the pragmatic, and try to save “the whole, and oftentimes the whole is lost” (Tocqueville). America’s willingness to sacrifice some things in order to achieve its end goal could make Jacobo’s mission very