In this article, the author discusses the educational and societal differences between Canada and the United States. He claims that an egocentric culture, committed to immediate gratification, stands in the way of a healthy response to change. People are always seeking accommodation to the changes around them. When people choose familiar behaviour patterns over creative responses to new challenges, they pander to their personal comfort at the expense of personal and societal growth. The author, emphasizing the social, political, and intellectual costs of egocentrism, claims that Canadian society has not fallen as far into that trap as their neighbours to the south. (Contains 11 notes.)