A photo from camping in Cajon del Maipo outside of Santiago, Chile
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Monday, December 10, 2012
New Project Galleries
Two new albums in the Projects section of my site! One is from an architecture and design showcase called CasaCor. The other is a series of aerial images I took while flying only a few thousand feet above Chile in a small two seater plane.
See them here: http://www.brandon-stanley.com/projects
See them here: http://www.brandon-stanley.com/projects
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
This Photograph is Not Free
Being that I'm currently living in a country where 90% of the population finds little to no value in photography and therefore believes that a photographer should give away his work for free, or at insanely low costs, I thought I'd post a link to an interesting article on this subject. Though the argument has its flaws, the point is all the same and still very valid. There are plenty of people in the US who don't understand photo usage rights or the idea of treating a photographer as a professional who deserves respect and to have his work paid for. But in Chile this problem is 100x worse. Too bad this article isn't in Spanish.
Read the article here:
http://www.petapixel.com/2012/01/10/this-photograph-is-not-free/
Read the article here:
http://www.petapixel.com/2012/01/10/this-photograph-is-not-free/
Monday, December 3, 2012
Yosemite Mirrored Lake Series
A few years ago I had a couple days to camp in Yosemite National Park and spend my time shooting as many photos as possible. I was struck with the challenge of trying to photograph Yosemite in a way that was original. The park is insanely beautiful but shooting it from a new perspective can be a bit of a challenge as thousands of photographers flock there every year.
I was wandering around and stumbled upon a small lake at the base of near vertical cliffs. I immediately was drawn to the reflections created by the lake and decided to use them as the basis for some images.
A couple minor adjustments in photoshop (all basic editing techniques) turned some moderately interesting images into something a bit stronger and more engaging (in my eyes, at least).
I was wandering around and stumbled upon a small lake at the base of near vertical cliffs. I immediately was drawn to the reflections created by the lake and decided to use them as the basis for some images.
A couple minor adjustments in photoshop (all basic editing techniques) turned some moderately interesting images into something a bit stronger and more engaging (in my eyes, at least).
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Peruvian Man
A random photo taken in 2010 in Peru. We were somewhere between Lima and Cusco. The bus had stopped on the side of the road beside a cluster of small homes around a farm. It wasn't exactly a town or a village as it was far too small. We were given a brief glimpse of simple life in the Peruvian countryside and when the moment arose I snapped a few photos of this local looking off into the hills.
Friday, October 12, 2012
That "style" is sooo overdone
It's unfortunate that familiarity to a "style" of photography can make the value of that body of work lessened. The photographer could have done the same amount, if not more, work as anybody else. They could have had a beautiful vision with every stylistic choice chosen for a specific purpose and executed with perfection. Yet, because it is familiar it begins to lose value in the public eye.
On websites across the web you can find well done photos, some strikingly beautiful with a clear vision. But get to the comments and it is full of people complaining about how unoriginal the photos are. Or that "they are beautiful images and technically perfect, but that "look" has been over done. So I don't like it." It's unfortunate that a persons creative work can be belittled by what a bunch of other people happened to do before them. Sure, there are some people who blatantly copy the style, subject and idea of others, but there are even more people who don't.
It seems to be a problem that is difficult, if not impossible, to escape from. Familiarity does make it that much harder to become excited if it is something you have seen a number of times. As amazingly awesome the internet is for viewing new artists and the work of millions of people around the world, it's slowly desensitizing us. We are no longer "wowed" as easily. Looking through websites like 500px and even Flickr, you can browse for a few hours and see dozens of photographers with the same "style." And you are slowly being desensitized to the quality of each photographers work. Does it make one photographers work any less important or well done? No. The photographer whose work you happened to stumble upon first in that "style" will most likely stand out a little more than the rest. Because after that, you begin to see patterns in the stylistic aspects and it becomes known to you. And once you know something it becomes less exciting.
This is a random rant inspired by a posting on F stoppers (here). I was looking through these photos and thinking how much I like them. The depth of field, the colors, the lighting and the way the subject and background work together perfectly without distracting one another. And then, I got to the comments. A majority of comments were about how this "style" is so overdone. How it's copying Joey L and blah blah blah. And I was distracted from the photos and the quality of the work. It's too bad really. At the end of the day I still remember that photographers work and I now have his website bookmarked on my computer. But too many other people love hating and focusing not on the quality of the work, but the number of times they have seen it already. Which just isn't fair.
On websites across the web you can find well done photos, some strikingly beautiful with a clear vision. But get to the comments and it is full of people complaining about how unoriginal the photos are. Or that "they are beautiful images and technically perfect, but that "look" has been over done. So I don't like it." It's unfortunate that a persons creative work can be belittled by what a bunch of other people happened to do before them. Sure, there are some people who blatantly copy the style, subject and idea of others, but there are even more people who don't.
It seems to be a problem that is difficult, if not impossible, to escape from. Familiarity does make it that much harder to become excited if it is something you have seen a number of times. As amazingly awesome the internet is for viewing new artists and the work of millions of people around the world, it's slowly desensitizing us. We are no longer "wowed" as easily. Looking through websites like 500px and even Flickr, you can browse for a few hours and see dozens of photographers with the same "style." And you are slowly being desensitized to the quality of each photographers work. Does it make one photographers work any less important or well done? No. The photographer whose work you happened to stumble upon first in that "style" will most likely stand out a little more than the rest. Because after that, you begin to see patterns in the stylistic aspects and it becomes known to you. And once you know something it becomes less exciting.
This is a random rant inspired by a posting on F stoppers (here). I was looking through these photos and thinking how much I like them. The depth of field, the colors, the lighting and the way the subject and background work together perfectly without distracting one another. And then, I got to the comments. A majority of comments were about how this "style" is so overdone. How it's copying Joey L and blah blah blah. And I was distracted from the photos and the quality of the work. It's too bad really. At the end of the day I still remember that photographers work and I now have his website bookmarked on my computer. But too many other people love hating and focusing not on the quality of the work, but the number of times they have seen it already. Which just isn't fair.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
My Photo in Lift Magazine
The 2012 issue of Lift Magazine, a Chilean ski magazine is out and it looks awesome! This is my first 2 page spread and it feels goooood. Big thanks to Juan Luis de Heeckeren for the in and Carlos Ferrer for choosing to run this image!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Jason Silva's Constant Pursuit of Awe
I don't write about the work of others all that often, but every once in a while I am introduced to something that really sticks with me. While in New York I had the pleasure of speaking with a young philosopher/filmmaker/television personality named Jason Silva.
It wasn't until working with him for over a week that I realized why he looked so familiar to me. A friend of mine in Chile had shown me these short, mind-blowing, eye opening videos of somebody speaking at a rapid fire pace about fairly dense concepts. They were insanely interesting and immediately bookmarked on my computer. It turns out we were working together on the same Nat Geo show and upon realizing who exactly he was I got to picking his brain and finding more out about this interesting man.
After working with Current TV for five years Jason began making his own videos about ideas, concepts and theories that inspired him about the future of humanity. In his own words, he creates these videos to make "moments of impermanence, permanent." Concepts like the Singularity were fairly new to me, but by watching Jason's videos I was pulled right in and I've been pondering them ever since.
His energy and passion is enthralling while speaking about the "possible ways the future can reinvent itself" and any other thought that comes across his mind.
You need to simply watch some of his videos to understand. This is the first video I ever saw:
THE BEGINNING OF INFINITY from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
Jason's constant pursuit of awe and fight against banality is inspiring and a useful reminder to keep flexing your creative muscles and pursuing higher education. He is one of the few lucky ones who is sought out to continue following his passions and share his enthusiasms with the world. It is no doubt his unrelenting and blaringly apparent enthusiasm and interest in the world around him that attracts a variety of outlets in search of his insight. In the last couple years he has appeared in everything from The Economist and Forbes to National Geographic and Vanity Fair.
It also doesn't hurt that he is a brilliant young mind pondering and theorizing the world around us and the future before us. But perhaps what makes Jason even more appealing is the fact that he makes otherwise dense topics more accessible and even entertaining. He has a charm and highly approachable quality that makes you want to understand, enjoy and follow whatever he is saying. If theorizing about the direction of the future, technological advancements and the Singularity is new to you or simply interests you, check out more of Jason Silva's videos for a captivating introduction.
To finish off, one more:
TO UNDERSTAND IS TO PERCEIVE PATTERNS from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
It wasn't until working with him for over a week that I realized why he looked so familiar to me. A friend of mine in Chile had shown me these short, mind-blowing, eye opening videos of somebody speaking at a rapid fire pace about fairly dense concepts. They were insanely interesting and immediately bookmarked on my computer. It turns out we were working together on the same Nat Geo show and upon realizing who exactly he was I got to picking his brain and finding more out about this interesting man.
After working with Current TV for five years Jason began making his own videos about ideas, concepts and theories that inspired him about the future of humanity. In his own words, he creates these videos to make "moments of impermanence, permanent." Concepts like the Singularity were fairly new to me, but by watching Jason's videos I was pulled right in and I've been pondering them ever since.
His energy and passion is enthralling while speaking about the "possible ways the future can reinvent itself" and any other thought that comes across his mind.
You need to simply watch some of his videos to understand. This is the first video I ever saw:
THE BEGINNING OF INFINITY from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
Jason's constant pursuit of awe and fight against banality is inspiring and a useful reminder to keep flexing your creative muscles and pursuing higher education. He is one of the few lucky ones who is sought out to continue following his passions and share his enthusiasms with the world. It is no doubt his unrelenting and blaringly apparent enthusiasm and interest in the world around him that attracts a variety of outlets in search of his insight. In the last couple years he has appeared in everything from The Economist and Forbes to National Geographic and Vanity Fair.
It also doesn't hurt that he is a brilliant young mind pondering and theorizing the world around us and the future before us. But perhaps what makes Jason even more appealing is the fact that he makes otherwise dense topics more accessible and even entertaining. He has a charm and highly approachable quality that makes you want to understand, enjoy and follow whatever he is saying. If theorizing about the direction of the future, technological advancements and the Singularity is new to you or simply interests you, check out more of Jason Silva's videos for a captivating introduction.
To finish off, one more:
TO UNDERSTAND IS TO PERCEIVE PATTERNS from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
Monday, September 3, 2012
The Next Step in my Path as a Photographer
As a photographer it is important to take a step back and look at your career. What you have accomplised, what you have learned, what direction you would like to go and what stop is next on your photographic journey. For me, the next step was working with stitched photomontages and planned images that are far more narrative based.
Since returning from NY I have felt creatively inspired and I've been trying to shoot everything with new techniques in mind. So from a logistical approach everything needs to be planned out to greater extent and I really am forced to think in new and different ways. It's challenging but really rewarding.
Instead of shooting single frame images I've been shooting almost everything as large, multi-frame photomontages. I really want to see my work in huge print at the highest quality possible. As an artist it is a beautiful thing to see your work the way it is intended to be experienced. A filmmaker prefers to see his work on the big screen and a musician prefers a live performance or using a great pair of headphones. I prefer a big, beautiful print.
As things go increasingly digital, the average photographers end product may differ. For some they will never leave the computer. They work for websites and only view their work on the computer. Some work solely for print in magazines. But for me it's large, high resolution prints in a frame on the wall. I find that is the most rewarding way to view your work. Once on the wall it evolves into something greater. It is not just an image on a screen that can be turned off and forgotten. It takes up physical space in the world. It can't be shut off and shut out. It is meant to be seen, and ideally meant to help create an atmosphere and energy in a room. It contributes to the overall feeling a room has if it's big enough. And that is what I strive for.
The problem so far, is that with my Nikon D300, I can only print a 240dpi print at less than 24 inches at the largest size. And I really want to see my work printed at least 3-4 feet wide. So lately I have been making these massive panoramas and experimenting with stitched images using 2-12 frames. By doing this you have to deal with a number of other logistics to make it work and have a vision from start to finish. This is where I've noticed my photographic eye has evolved. When shooting 10 frames you look at each individual area with more importance because you shoot it as it's own image. So I've used the opportunity to use my own flash and softbox to light individual areas in each frame I do, just to take advantage of repeated use in what will be one photo(a final product that appears to have been lit with way more than one light).
For these reasons I've been doing more compositing in Photoshop. Previously I had worked with only single frames and preferred a more natural look with a heightened atmosphere through toning and playing with the lights, darks and color. Now I've chosen to add elements not originally there, or changing them out with better counterparts from other frames. I've begun to take notice of the influence each individual element has in regards to the end goal and story I'm telling. It has been a massive learning process and I'm producing some images I'm really excited about.
-Photos that are more narrative based and were planned with concepts, styles and moods produced. Not captured moments of actual existence in the world.
-Photos that can be printed up to 80x60 inches at 300dpi
-Photos with more compelling lighting effects and moods applied through dodging/burning and using lights and darks to pull viewers through the image and direct their attention to strategic areas of intrigue.
For me it was nice to take this step. I always respected and was amazed at what some photographers could do with massive montages and just never had an interest to try. I knew it was a lot of practical knowledge necessary for being an advertising photographer so I'm glad I was finally drawn to it enough to explore it.
Since returning from NY I have felt creatively inspired and I've been trying to shoot everything with new techniques in mind. So from a logistical approach everything needs to be planned out to greater extent and I really am forced to think in new and different ways. It's challenging but really rewarding.
Instead of shooting single frame images I've been shooting almost everything as large, multi-frame photomontages. I really want to see my work in huge print at the highest quality possible. As an artist it is a beautiful thing to see your work the way it is intended to be experienced. A filmmaker prefers to see his work on the big screen and a musician prefers a live performance or using a great pair of headphones. I prefer a big, beautiful print.
As things go increasingly digital, the average photographers end product may differ. For some they will never leave the computer. They work for websites and only view their work on the computer. Some work solely for print in magazines. But for me it's large, high resolution prints in a frame on the wall. I find that is the most rewarding way to view your work. Once on the wall it evolves into something greater. It is not just an image on a screen that can be turned off and forgotten. It takes up physical space in the world. It can't be shut off and shut out. It is meant to be seen, and ideally meant to help create an atmosphere and energy in a room. It contributes to the overall feeling a room has if it's big enough. And that is what I strive for.
The problem so far, is that with my Nikon D300, I can only print a 240dpi print at less than 24 inches at the largest size. And I really want to see my work printed at least 3-4 feet wide. So lately I have been making these massive panoramas and experimenting with stitched images using 2-12 frames. By doing this you have to deal with a number of other logistics to make it work and have a vision from start to finish. This is where I've noticed my photographic eye has evolved. When shooting 10 frames you look at each individual area with more importance because you shoot it as it's own image. So I've used the opportunity to use my own flash and softbox to light individual areas in each frame I do, just to take advantage of repeated use in what will be one photo(a final product that appears to have been lit with way more than one light).
For these reasons I've been doing more compositing in Photoshop. Previously I had worked with only single frames and preferred a more natural look with a heightened atmosphere through toning and playing with the lights, darks and color. Now I've chosen to add elements not originally there, or changing them out with better counterparts from other frames. I've begun to take notice of the influence each individual element has in regards to the end goal and story I'm telling. It has been a massive learning process and I'm producing some images I'm really excited about.
-Photos that are more narrative based and were planned with concepts, styles and moods produced. Not captured moments of actual existence in the world.
-Photos that can be printed up to 80x60 inches at 300dpi
-Photos with more compelling lighting effects and moods applied through dodging/burning and using lights and darks to pull viewers through the image and direct their attention to strategic areas of intrigue.
For me it was nice to take this step. I always respected and was amazed at what some photographers could do with massive montages and just never had an interest to try. I knew it was a lot of practical knowledge necessary for being an advertising photographer so I'm glad I was finally drawn to it enough to explore it.
Pack of stray dogs at Valle Nevado
Snowboarder in downtown Santiago
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
At La Parva
On the mountain at La Parva, just an 1.5 hours outside of Santiago. My friend Felipe and I were stopped by the side of the lift waiting for Clemente, a local Chilean skier, to come up on the chair lift to do some crazy flips. There was surreal atmosphere from the deep blue skies and a constant wind that blew snow around just about the ground.
Monday, August 27, 2012
View from La Parva
This last weekend was super productive and a lot of fun. I had the opportunity to shoot some talented skiers up at La Parva. It was a beautiful day with awesome conditions. Below is a photo of the view of the town and looking down the Andes towards Santiago. I got some shots I'm really excited about, but I'll only be able to post some of the outtakes as the best ones will hopefully be ending up in a Chilean ski/snowboard magazine. But we'll see!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Hating is In
It's safe to say the internet has changed the way the world functions and that it's reach and impact goes beyond what most people can even comprehend. The availability of knowledge is at our fingertips and we can virtually travel anywhere in the world at the click of a button. It has made the ability to understand the world around us incredibly easy.
Yet, for some reason, it is breeding ignorance and hatred just as much as it is doing anything positive. Yes, the internet is making "hating" all too easy and more popular than ever. It gives the cowards and the introverted pessimists a voice they never would have had in the physical world. If you visit many websites there are always people who feel the need to hate on whatever somebody else posted. The anonymity everybody can retain gives people the ability to do whatever they want with little or no consequence.
Some websites, such as Ebaum's World (I know, not the most reputable site, but still receives plenty of traffic), offer humorous, often lighthearted content. But read the comments, and regardless of how enjoyable and fun the video or photos are, almost every single comment is a competition to see who can be the bigger asshole. It is a website where being a dick is a point of pride and the more hatred and ignorance one person can exemplify, the more they have written a "successful" comment. Websites like Youtube are sadly now like this too.
I personally don't understand the interest in hating. I find life far more enjoyable when you try to like everything in the world. Maybe it involves a little more effort, but at the end of the day it just makes you a more knowledgable, accepting person. I know you can't like everything in the world. But if you don't like something and don't have the time to try to understand it, why not just push it aside and move on? Why spend your own time focusing on shitting all over something you don't like? Do people really not have other things they would prefer to do?
There are people who genuinely enjoy hating and negativity and it baffles me. You can find haters in all corners of the web. There will always be that person who disagrees. And disagreeing is fine. Not everybody likes everything. That is normal, that is fine. But when people have to add unnecessary touches, or massive doses, of negativity and hatred that is what I don't understand.
If you visit any articles, reviews or profiles for bands or movies there will always be debates in the comment section about the quality of the artist or piece of work. There is ALWAYS people saying "this sucks" or "this is the worst thing I've seen in my life." That is being an asshole. No, it (probably) doesn't suck and it's probably not the worst thing you've ever seen in your life. It sucks to you, but that simply means you don't like it. By saying it sucks you are being unnecessarily negative and "hating" instead of just stating your opinion in a less offensive manner. And even if it does suck, the person making it probably doesn't think it sucks, so why put them down more than you have to?
What is the root of this hating? It comes down to the fact that hating is just easier to do. You don't have to understand something to hate it or dislike it. You can just say it sucks and not apply too much brain power to comprehending it. You can resort to your usual bank of ignorant comments that can apply to anything in the world you don't like. It is far easier than spending the time trying to understand something if you don't naturally like it.
To like something, or at the very least accept it, is to either understand it or have some attraction to it. If the natural attraction isn't there, too many people can't be bothered trying to understand it, so they hate on it. If they hate on it without trying to understand it there argument will mostly be "it sucks. It's stupid. I can't believe I wasted my time on this. blah blah blah it's so obvious that I have given this no thought." There are people who do try and understand something and still don't like it, and again, that is OK. But why be so negative and whiny about it? It's perpetuating a shit attitude that is becoming widely accepted across the internet. It's making negativity, ignorance and hatred more present than ever in the world and slowly making it appear OK. The internet gives everybody with access the ability to understand as much as they choose to, but too many people choose the path of ignorance. And I just don't get it.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Stray Puppy
A stray puppy hiding behind a pile of snow at Valle Nevado ski resort outside of Santiago. He was one of eight dogs running around together. More photos of the rest coming soon!
Monday, August 20, 2012
First day at Valle Nevado
Finally, after two years of a snowless existence I have made it back to the mountains. It feels amazing to be back. I love the community centered around skiing and snowboarding because no matter where you go there is a very similar energy.
I'm in Chile now and it is certainly different from Lake Tahoe or Colorado, but when you are up at the ski resorts, other than the scenery being different, the atmosphere is quite similar. And the atmosphere is always upbeat and lively. Ski resorts are a place where people with the same passions and interests are brought together to enjoy themselves. What can be bad about that? The answer is obviously nothing.
I haven't gotten to go up to the mountains as much as I'd like to due to the fact I've got a bunch of other work going on. That, and it's kind of expensive. Without a ride from a friend or the energy to try and hitchhike, it is about $28 to get up to the mountain each day. Then if you don't have another friend to get you a half of student ticket you may be forced to pay the full price of $80 for a lift ticket. In Chile, skiing is definitely more of a sport for the rich and the tourists. Limited housing up at the mountains makes this even more of an issue.
Perhaps the biggest downside of going to the mountains from Santiago, especially for me living in Santiago Centro, is the commute. When I'm forced to take the tourist bus up I have to leave the apartment at 7am, dressed in all my gear and walk through crowded streets with my snowboard, boots and camera bag. I then have to squeeze onto a packed, rush hour metro. This usually involves waiting for 2-5 trains to pass to find an opening I can even consider fitting into.
I then have to walk another 8 blocks to the bus and wait on line with a bunch of tourists to get a seat on the next bus to the mountains. Pay $26 and then sit there sweating for another two hours up to the mountains. So a day snowboarding can cost over well over $100 and require six hours of commuting. The first time was ok, for the experience, but I can see this commute getting very old, very fast.
Once you get to the mountains it is all worth it though. July was a weak month and produced almost no snow, but fortunately they have been getting some snow the last couple weeks. It's still a little dry but better than nothing. Below are a few photos of my first day up with my friend Diego.
The road to Valle Nevado from Farellones
View of the hotel and lodge at Valle Nevado
Diego popping a little shifty into the sun
A bigger shifty
The shuttle van at dusk
Sunset over Santiago in the distance
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Americans Love Lawsuits
Living in another country I constantly find myself drawing comparisons between places I've lived and places I've visited. I am always finding reasons I like countries more than the US or dislike them more. One reason I have realized life in South American countries, and most likely many places in the world, is more simple and seemingly free, is that there isn't a constant fear of being sued.
Yes, Americans are beyond idiotic when it comes to legal issues and try to sue anyone and anything the second something doesn't work in their favor. When companies, restaurants, parks, public properties, and individuals need to constantly worry about some asshole suing them for their own shortcomings or stupidity, it creates a tense atmosphere. Every potential hazard needs to be clearly marked. Every person enjoying themselves doing anything less than overly safe needs to be stopped, because if they get hurt, of course they will sue the shit out of you. Every item sold needs tons of warnings, no matter how obvious. Because in America, there is always somebody trying to put the blame of being a moron onto somebody else, or simply take advantage of a situation.
It really makes for a disgusting environment. Doing a little research about this I found that in 2011 there were over 15 million lawsuits filed in the US. That's one lawsuit for every 12 adults in America*. After some investigating I don't even know how many lawsuits were filed in other countries. Apparently there is little need or interest in these statistics outside of the US(if somebody finds any I would be curious of knowing stats for other countries). I do know the US has the highest amount, but I'm not positive by how much we surpass other nations.
A little more research revealed one of the more embarrassing Americans I've stumbled upon recently. A man named Jonathan Lee Riches, at the age of 35, has filed over 4,000 lawsuits against everyone from George W. Bush, Steve Jobs, Perez Hilton, Britney Spears, Nostradamus, the Roman Empire, Adolf Hitler's National Socialist Party, the Lincoln Memorial and ALL survivors of the Holocaust. In one example he filed a restraining order against Grand Theft Auto and it's makers, stating that they "put me in prison." This is the classic American defense. This game showed "sex, drugs and violence, which offends me." So instead of taking responsibility for his own actions he chose to blame something else.
Other countries don't have this problem, or at least not to such a strong degree. If somebody is walking down the street and trips over a half open manhole cover and hurts themselves, they will deal with it and chalk it up to a mishap. In America the city will be sued for millions. If somebody gets sick because of something they eat in McDonalds in Chile, who gives a shit, that's life. Not in America, you gotta make your millions in the easiest way possible. People have no shame.
I believe this is one big reason why life feels more free in other countries. People can get away with so much more because there isn't a constant army of surveillance to keep everybody in line and from having ammunition to sue with. You could argue that it's about keeping the public safe. I'm sure that is partly true. But in Chile, people are taught to take responsibility for their own actions and not rely on other people around you to tell you you're doing something stupid or unsafe. That just seems logical, but clearly there are too many people who don't support logic.
*http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/infographic-america-lawsuit-happy-nation
Yes, Americans are beyond idiotic when it comes to legal issues and try to sue anyone and anything the second something doesn't work in their favor. When companies, restaurants, parks, public properties, and individuals need to constantly worry about some asshole suing them for their own shortcomings or stupidity, it creates a tense atmosphere. Every potential hazard needs to be clearly marked. Every person enjoying themselves doing anything less than overly safe needs to be stopped, because if they get hurt, of course they will sue the shit out of you. Every item sold needs tons of warnings, no matter how obvious. Because in America, there is always somebody trying to put the blame of being a moron onto somebody else, or simply take advantage of a situation.
It really makes for a disgusting environment. Doing a little research about this I found that in 2011 there were over 15 million lawsuits filed in the US. That's one lawsuit for every 12 adults in America*. After some investigating I don't even know how many lawsuits were filed in other countries. Apparently there is little need or interest in these statistics outside of the US(if somebody finds any I would be curious of knowing stats for other countries). I do know the US has the highest amount, but I'm not positive by how much we surpass other nations.
A little more research revealed one of the more embarrassing Americans I've stumbled upon recently. A man named Jonathan Lee Riches, at the age of 35, has filed over 4,000 lawsuits against everyone from George W. Bush, Steve Jobs, Perez Hilton, Britney Spears, Nostradamus, the Roman Empire, Adolf Hitler's National Socialist Party, the Lincoln Memorial and ALL survivors of the Holocaust. In one example he filed a restraining order against Grand Theft Auto and it's makers, stating that they "put me in prison." This is the classic American defense. This game showed "sex, drugs and violence, which offends me." So instead of taking responsibility for his own actions he chose to blame something else.
Other countries don't have this problem, or at least not to such a strong degree. If somebody is walking down the street and trips over a half open manhole cover and hurts themselves, they will deal with it and chalk it up to a mishap. In America the city will be sued for millions. If somebody gets sick because of something they eat in McDonalds in Chile, who gives a shit, that's life. Not in America, you gotta make your millions in the easiest way possible. People have no shame.
I believe this is one big reason why life feels more free in other countries. People can get away with so much more because there isn't a constant army of surveillance to keep everybody in line and from having ammunition to sue with. You could argue that it's about keeping the public safe. I'm sure that is partly true. But in Chile, people are taught to take responsibility for their own actions and not rely on other people around you to tell you you're doing something stupid or unsafe. That just seems logical, but clearly there are too many people who don't support logic.
*http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/infographic-america-lawsuit-happy-nation
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