Not everyone is good-looking. Not everyone is smart. Not everyone can solve problems. This is true for people everywhere, and especially in the United States.

Many times over in history, Americans seem to glorify themselves, thinking that they are the best in the world. Take the days after World War II, for example. Since the armies of the United States (and atomic bombs) were responsible for ending the war’s hostilities for good, the American citizens back home celebrated under the belief that they could handle any threat against them. The truth? We’re as human as they come, regardless of what we do and where we come from. And the thing about human beings is: no one of them – not one of us – are perfect. Just look around. It’s undeniable.

For the record: I’m not writing this because I don’t care about America. I do care. And I’m not writing this to offend or even insult anyone, whether they read this article or not. I’m writing this for the same reason that Max Brooks wrote his 2006 novel, World War Z: to try to flesh out our flaws as a people and a nation. So, if this does offend any readers, remember that we are lucky to be Americans – we just can’t take that fact for granted.

Here are a few points that we, as Americans in general, should understand about ourselves:

• Overconfidence. In general, American elementary and high school students perceive themselves as being able to achieve high scores in math tests. Do they? The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study discovered that the average U.S. student with high-confidence earned 551 points on a test prepared for said study. This ranks the United States in 11th place among 29 other countries, with Hong Kong leading with an average score of 607.

• Putting Own Interests over Others’. For some reason, American companies are looking overseas for engineers and scientists. It doesn’t make sense, especially because we already have plenty of them back home. Yes, we do need more science and engineering – but not necessarily more people to do it. But our companies are sending jobs overseas because, as medicinal chemist Derek Lowe put it, “it’s cheaper that way.” That’s mainly why a lot of unemployed scientists in the United States – both good and bad at their jobs – are having trouble finding work: it’s not looking for them.

• Stubbornness. When a group has political power, they can do as they wish. As Americans, we can because our Constitution allows it. But we can also take our rights for granted, and our most recent example: the shutdown of our federal government. With their differing stands on what is best for the people, our Democratic and Republican parties are currently “playing chicken” (as social studies teacher Jim Marrone put it) over funding health care. Now several federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, have closed their doors to the general public; and several national parks – the Everglades, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite – are closed down as well.

• Superficial. “We seem to worship celebrities today, not heroes.” Those are the words that journalist Bill Moyers said in “The Power of Myth”, a 1988 television series on PBS. And with the age of heroes from myth and legend in the past, that claim rings true especially in the United States. Humans, regardless of their nation and culture, tend to idolize popular people who are very handsome or beautiful. Most fans love any celebrities on top, but hate or pity those who fall. These days, I see celebrities on magazine covers in stores, shows on TV, in pictures on the Internet. Any celebrity news that pops up in my face usually includes (but isn’t limited to) a major development (like a marriage or plastic surgery), a major scandal, or maybe even something unfounded and trivial (that, or it sounds too out in left field to take seriously).

We have taken what it means to be American for granted. The Constitution grants us our freedoms, our liberties, our rights. They have allowed us to be who we are – as individuals, as a people, as a nation. And now, we have taken them for granted. At the risk of repeating myself, we are not the greatest nation in the world. But if we can shelf our pride, if we can learn from our nation and our people – both triumphs and blunders; problems both plain to see and under the surface – we can become all the better for it.