To the “sick” France of 1835, Tocqueville counterposed healthy America, where attachment to the idea that people should pursue their self-interest was no less strong, but was different. The difference, he thought, was that Americans understood that they could not flourish unless their neighbors prospered as well.
针对1835年的“病态”法国，托克维尔用健康的美国作为对比。在美国，关于应该追求自我利益的观点也像法国一样流行，但两者之间并不一样。他认为，不同之处就在于美国人明白自己无法在四邻萧条的情况下独自繁荣。因此，美国人虽然追求自我利益，但是以一种“正确理解”的方式在进行。