"This is so American, man: either make something your God and cosmos and then worship it, or else kill it"

David Foster Wallace's quote, "This is so American, man: either make something your God and cosmos and after that praise it, or else eliminate it", uses a sharp observation about the extreme behaviors and attitudes frequently seen in American culture. This declaration can be unpacked to reflect on the tendencies within society to admire or damage.

The phrase "make something your God and universes" suggests a propensity to elevate something-- whether it be a concept, things, or person-- to the highest pedestal. In American culture, this could describe the fixation with stars, materialism, capitalism, or perhaps the nation itself. This idolization can be connected to the consumer-driven mindset where worth is typically measured by fame, success, and product wealth. It highlights how fervently Americans may hold on to certain ideals, ideologies, or possessions, often integrating them into their identities and lives in a quasi-religious fashion.

In contrast, the latter part of the quote, "or else eliminate it", points to the American fondness for damage or rejection. Where there is no elevation, there can often be a straight-out termination or critique. This could be analyzed not in the literal sense of killing, however more metaphorically as in discrediting, underestimating, or discarding those things that do not fit into one's worldview or cultural standards. It reflects an attitude of intolerance or a failure to engage with differing opinions or way of lives, pushing towards an all-or-nothing technique.

Overall, Wallace's quote critiques a viewed binary in American society-- either raising something to an unattainable status of respect or dismissing it totally. This pattern can cause an absence of small amounts, nuanced understanding, and balance. The quote motivates reflection on how these polarizing propensities shape individual and cumulative American identities, values, and interactions.