American Dream
- How would you describe the "American Dream"?
The American Dream is defined (by a google search) as the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Breaking this down, this dream would only apply to those who are of US citizenship, which makes sense, but some individuals might not start out as a citizen, making them unqualified for achieving this "american dream". This is what i would leave out of the definition of the American Dream. I don't believe you need to be a citizen of the United States to still achieve this success and prosper within the country, and most who come to America to achieve this dream aren't of citizenship. The American Dream is also emphasizes the fact that working is the way that the dream will be accomplished, which emphasizes employment, overall improving the economy. This makes the people of America feel obligated to get a job and work hard every day, or their overall quality of life won't be to its highest extent, which I also disagree with. This dream was mostly tried to achieve during the 1920's where post-WW1 nationality was at its peak, and the definition of the American Dream was very important during this time period. In my opinion, however, you shouldn't be defined as your ability to reach this intangible "American Dream".
- What is your definition of wealth?
Most would define wealth as the amount of money, and I agree. If a person is wealthy, that means that they have a lot of money and are pretty much better off than most are. Vice versa if someone isn't wealthy, they don't have as much money as someone would normally have. Wealth also doesn't have to mean the amount of physical dollars (or whatever your country's currency) you have. People can have wealth through the amount of stuff they have in their home or the amount of expensive cars you have. Like the American Dream definition, however, I don't believe that your amount of wealth doesn't define you, especially since money is something the human race made to exchange goods and technically has no actual value.
- What are Americans' attitudes toward wealth and poverty?
Americans are super judgmental with anything that has to do with defining and describing a person, so they are when dealing with wealth and poverty. The more wealthy you are, the better you are off in America. You have access to better jobs, better insurance, and the ability to provide for yourself and your family much easier. America doesn't have the same attitudes towards poverty in the United States, mostly because it makes us as a country look worse. I always see on twitter the different actions that the government is taking to make sure the homeless aren't seen on the streets to make us seem like were a more credible country. Or you see the different treatments that the homeless people get in numerous locations around the country, and you understand that the poor are treated very differently. This means that American society prefers that someone be wealthy, instead of poor and not contributing to America's economy.
- What is your attitude toward wealth and poverty?
My attitude towards wealth and poverty is the complete opposite to that of America. Like I've stated before, I don't believe that whether you accumulate wealth, or are poor determines how "good" of a person you are. I don't think one simple characteristic defines you, and I don't think it's fair for people to judge based on this ranking. Wealth is just a number, and if we took all the numerical amount of money out of our society, we might be truly happy.
HEY BFF!!!!(ILY). After reading your blog (which are always amazing) I found I agreed with what you wrote. I think a lot of people today are quick to determine a wealthy person has achieved the so called "American Dream", but like you said, wealth shouldn't define you. I personally think that our generation is beginning to stray away from the dream being the amount of money you have, and have turned towards experiencing life for less. I think my attitude towards wealth and poverty is also the exact opposite of that of America. If you work hard or do what you love I think that's the American Dream and you're absolutely right, wealth is just a number, and if we begin to see that then we might be truly happy.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this blog post and learning your perspective of the American Dream. Your point about opportunity and success, the backbone of the American Dream ideology, is not limited to where you live. I made the same point about how wealth does not necessarily have to be in the form of monetary value, but object and possessions. In your last two points, my favorite take away was saying that wealth does not define you, which I agree with to a great extent. People should not be judged based on a number, as those with great character traits are not always backed with endless wealth. Do you think wealthy Americans will every change their view of those in poverty and is there a way to prevent this? An answer to this question would be a great addition to your well written post. Absolute fantastic job.
ReplyDeleteHI BRIANNAH! loved your post. I especially liked that you discussed how Americans are extremely judgmental towards those who are poor and rich. Americans believe that being poor correlates to a lack of education, class, iniquity, and obese. I think the reason for this is because almost all Americans think that money buys happiness. This shows that the American Dream is still present in our society. I agree with much of what you said!! Overall, great job giraffe:)
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