The American Cowboy. It’s a myth. No, not a myth as in it never happened. But a myth that shapes our self-understanding and purpose. It’s a myth in the way a sociologist uses the word: it shapes our view of the world and gives us a common bond as a society.
To many the American Cowboy is a great image of self-reliance. But other groups will call it a harmful myth keeping people from being community focused. In the business world I’ve heard the line “he’s a cowboy” be used as a derogatory reference to somebody who goes off the …