[badestrand]

I also really liked the telic-atelic distinction and would like to read more about it. But this:

> stereotypical "western" goal-oriented notions of success or happiness

is probably more "American" than "western". Look at the laissez-faire life of the French, Spanish or Italians and the typical German surely doesn't thrive for success but for a stable, comfortable life.

That goal-hunting and search for exceptionalism is certainly spreading in the world but I would think that the American culture is maybe the only one where it is really rooted.