(I know this meme doesn't directly correlate but I enjoyed it nonetheless)
What is the American Dream? Google defines it as "the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative." and I'd have to agree to some extent. To me, the American Dream is something that exists due to the hope it fosters, not the reality of the situation. Though some people do succeed, a multitude more spend their lives working hard due to their hope with little to no success. That hope creates a more motivated and willing workforce in the United States. I'm not saying that whoever fostered the idea of the American Dream did it in order to create an inspired workforce in the United States, but I think that's what it did. The American dream is something that dangles over the head of the great percentage of people, but like a carrot dangled in front of a horse, it encourages them to work for it. In many ways, I think the American Dream has contributed to our very success driven society that we see today. From that point of view, I would describe the American Dream as it describes itself: a dream. It is unrealistic mostly due to idea of equal opportunity and how it depends on the idea of a happy ending. I don't think it's a bad thing, I think any amount of hope for a group of people is positive and will have a positive influence on that group of people. The American Dream is an unattainable ideal, yet instills positive values in our culture.
To me, wealth correlates with the idea of having a lot of something. Most often, when I think of wealth I think of monetary wealth, but I also believe wealth can be found in multiple different forms. One example is the idea of wealth in possessing a large amount of knowledge and wisdom. Honestly though, a huge aspect of wealth is the idea of possessing a large sum of money and material things. I would define wealth as a chain reaction of having a lot; having a lot of money leads to having a lot of things which leads to having a lot of friends which leads to having a lot of influence and the chain of what wealth provides goes on.
Americans generalize wealth as an indicator of success and poverty as an indicator of failure. Wealthy people are worshipped. They are on the cover of magazines, they host reality TV shows, and they become president; they seem to have the admiration and friendship of everyone around them. On the other end of the spectrum, people in poverty are blamed for their poverty. A common example is drug addicts and alcoholics who are also in poverty. Our culture looks down on them, deems that it was the individuals fault for letting their addiction control their lives, if they had made different decisions they would not be in poverty. The appeal of wealth, mostly of the monetary kind, and the fear of poverty, is what drives many Americans to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. Most Americans fall somewhere on the scale in-between wealth and poverty, never being truly in either end. I think leads to a general attitude from Americans of striving for wealth but avoiding poverty.
Whether this is a bad thing or a good thing, my attitude towards wealth and poverty aligns with the average American I described above. I avoid poverty, whether it is my own personal poverty or people who are experiencing it, and I run towards wealth in a similar manner. I strive for wealth, and it maybe is the reason I work so hard now. I say this because the culture of everyone around me echoes the idea that I need to work hard to get into an impressive college to get a high paying job, hence equating to wealth when I'm older. Something has caused me to buy into this idea. Despite my doubts in the viability of the American Dream, I do have my own version of it. I'll know where I'm going to college by the time I have to write another blog post (the national last day to tell students they got in is April 1st). In that sense, one step of my drive towards wealth and my American Dream will be fulfilled. My American Dream is also built off the idea of hard work, and that I can achieve wealth if I maintain a strong work ethic in school then my future career. I think my attitude corresponds with the generalized American view towards wealth and poverty due to the environment I was raised in, and how I was constantly taught to strive for wealth.
Whether this is a bad thing or a good thing, my attitude towards wealth and poverty aligns with the average American I described above. I avoid poverty, whether it is my own personal poverty or people who are experiencing it, and I run towards wealth in a similar manner. I strive for wealth, and it maybe is the reason I work so hard now. I say this because the culture of everyone around me echoes the idea that I need to work hard to get into an impressive college to get a high paying job, hence equating to wealth when I'm older. Something has caused me to buy into this idea. Despite my doubts in the viability of the American Dream, I do have my own version of it. I'll know where I'm going to college by the time I have to write another blog post (the national last day to tell students they got in is April 1st). In that sense, one step of my drive towards wealth and my American Dream will be fulfilled. My American Dream is also built off the idea of hard work, and that I can achieve wealth if I maintain a strong work ethic in school then my future career. I think my attitude corresponds with the generalized American view towards wealth and poverty due to the environment I was raised in, and how I was constantly taught to strive for wealth.
