David Brooks on Americans' "Eschatological" Faith in the Future

(What?  You don't know what the heck "Eschatological" means either?  Let's ask our friends at Wikipedia: 

"...a part of theology and philosophy concerned with what are believed to be the final events in the history of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world.)

Snip:

"this eschatological faith in the future has motivated generations of Americans, just as religious faith motivates a missionary. Pioneers and immigrants endured hardship in the present because of their confidence in future plenty. Entrepreneurs start up companies with an exaggerated sense of their chances of success. The faith is the molten core of the country's dynamism...The anxiety in America is caused by the vague sense that they have what we're supposed to have. It's not the per capita income, which the Chinese may never have at our level. It's the sense of living with baubles just out of reach. It's the faith in the future, which is actually more important...And it becomes obvious by comparison [to China] just how far the U.S. has drifted from its normal future-centered orientation and how much this rankles. (Read the full column here.)

(Cross-posted at SellingTomorrows.com)