When discussing American history, the term "Puritan ethic" inevitably comes up.

Values such as hard work, self-discipline, responsibility, and a sense of community are believed to have shaped America and driven its current prosperity.

However, living in a big city, this phrase increasingly feels like a preserved slogan.

Sometimes, I can't help but feel guilty that it is the immigrants who flocked to the cities that have ultimately ruined the Puritan ethic.

Looking at cities like New York, LA, and Chicago, they seem more like a microcosm of the world than America itself.

The languages are different, the values are different, and the histories are different.

People gathered to make a living and adapted in their own ways to survive.

The problem is that in this process, common norms and implicit agreements have gradually lost their strength.

In the past, shame or face-saving acted as a brake, but now the attitude seems to be that as long as you don't break the law, it's fine.

To be honest, it's easy to want to blame the immigrants. But upon further reflection, the situation is not that simple.

The Puritan ethic was ultimately the value system of the immigrants who came from Europe at that time. They are not so different from today's immigrants.

Only the times and environments have changed. Back then, the land was vast, opportunities were plentiful, and communities were small.

Breaking the rules was immediately apparent, and it was hard to evade responsibility.

In contrast, today's big cities have a high degree of anonymity.

There is no need to know who lives what kind of life, nor do people want to know.

The system has become more complex, and responsibilities have been fragmented.

In such a structure, is it really realistic to demand old-fashioned morals and self-discipline from individuals?

Yet, we continue to impose past ideals on the present and feel disappointed.

So, if you ask whether this is a problem caused by immigrants, I think the answer is only partially yes.

Immigrants have played a role in accelerating change, but it is more a result of the direction chosen by American society as a whole.

Values that have loosened while prioritizing efficiency, growth, and competition may now be revealing their void.

The way to uphold the Puritan ethic in American society should now be redefined to fit the current environment rather than merely imitating the past.

If not, I believe this question will continue to echo like a guilt trip in the future.