ABSTRACT
Meddling continues to flourish in America in part because people allow themselves to be meddled with. This chapter provides an answer as to why so many Americans allow others to meddle in their lives. The fact that people tolerate, accept, and endorse the meddling of others is analyzed through a discussion of the promise of meddling to resolve the institutional and interpersonal confusions in American life. Part of the reason people allow others to meddle so shamelessly into their lives lies in what one might call the "institutionalization of confusion". One of the less salubrious effects of the massive breakup of the family the chapter has witnessed is a precipitous decline in the belief in the wisdom and durability of family and intimate relationships. The chapter traces out some of the major sources of the appeal and acceptance of meddling, as well as provided criticism of the underlying claims of meddlers.
