Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The importance of setting realistic goals
The concept of the American dream
Concept of the american dream
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The importance of setting realistic goals
Since the beginning of time, people have always had one goal and that goal is to be happy. For some people, happiness is easy to obtain and for others, it is a work in progress. It can be argued that in order for the average person to be happy they must make the American dream of a cushy job/job security, a lot of money, a huge savings account with thousands of dollars, a trophy wife or husband, a big house with a two or three car garage and two or three well behaved children a reality. Ironically, there are those who have a different definition of the American dream that have absolutely nothing to do with the aforementioned but they still manage to live well and wake up in a good mood every day. Happiness is what we create for ourselves. …show more content…
It can be argued that for people who cannot find happiness themselves take alternate routes to happiness such as using their children to achieve that little bit of happiness. For example, a 37-year-old man who’s a father of 5 who never got a chance to play for the NBA has a 6’3 17-year-old son who is constantly getting offers from professional basketball teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trailblazers and Washington Wizards. The father’s definition of happiness would be getting free seats to his son’s games and being able to ride his son’s team bus to other cities as well as states for every …show more content…
The reason why it is so hard for people to be happy is because they want to concentrate on living in a perfect world where their heart’s desires becomes reality, anything different from that and they justify it with anger along with counterproductive violence. People want more of what they want and less of what they can get, when a person is so adamant about getting whatever they want at any cost then it puts them in a state of deep unhappiness. People need to concentrate on trying to find a middle ground, those who compromise, find true happiness. Perfection does not beget
Using philosopher John Mills’s meaning, “Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others,"(McMahon P.11;S.1) which means that the only way one can be happy is by putting forth their attention to the happiness of others, and not themselves. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Compassion makes people contented. Giving to others could increase our prosperity more than spending money on ourselves. Giving is the key to
The American Dream was derived from the United States Declaration of Independence which states that, “All mean are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (US 1776). This means that every person has equal opportunity
There are various individuals throughout the world who believe that the American Dream cannot be achieved by all people. Those who agree with this view believe that our culture contains too many roadblocks and obstacles. Some of these obstacles include prejudice, poverty, and social inequality. Another view on this matter is that others believe that America is the “Land of Opportunity”. They also believe that if you can believe it, you can achieve it. Back in the early 20th century, The American Dream meant something to people; nowadays it is a term that various people loosely throw around. The American Dream is not realistic because it is not attainable to everyone like Cal Thomas presumes and although education, budget cuts and lack of employment may seem of some concern to only a small group of people, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about the status of the economy.
Mostly anything you want to achieve requires time and perseverance it doesn 't just come to you easily. In America we all have dreams we want to achieve, a set of goals for the future. The American dream is in your perception, what you want it to mean for you. It’s what you want to consummate in America where you can 't anywhere else. How you can succeed in life enough to survive and be happy. The reality of the American dream is the essence of any person living in America, immigrant or not. Trying to achieve in life more than their parents did and to be successful with a prosperous life, but many people believe it can’t be achieved, but with assiduous work and determination you can make your
The American Dream, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, is the belief that everyone in the United States of America has the chance to be successful and happy if they work hard enough. This idea is one of the major reason why America is the place most people from all over the world want to travel to in order to pursue the American Dream. The American Beauty is a movie that tells a story of what it takes to pursue the American Dream. In the movie, many sides of the American Dream were depicted by different characters in different ways but with similar experiences involving the cost and challenges of pursuing success. Jane is a young lady in the movie who suffered from a dysfunctional family. The lack of love in her home, which was due to her parents’ drive for success, did not only make her an unhappy girl but also led her into seeking love and attention in the hands of a drug dealer.
The American Dream. This concept is well known as the picture perfect family, nice house and the white picket fence. As well as succeeding and excelling in life and making the future generations lives better than the current one. This concept has contributed much of the immigration from as early as 1931 to present day. However, many immigrants immigrate to the United States in order to escape oppression as well as uprising and turmoil which may reside in their home country. Though society often places people none the less immigrants into categories from social class, heritage, and prejudice they share a common thread of hope as well as facing obstacles in their journeys and once they arrive to the states. An example of this common thread of escaping their homeland in order to pursue new experiences and hopeful new life yet experiencing different hardships are shown when looking at both the Mexicans and the Irish.
Millions of immigrant moved to America in search of freedom, equality, and success. This is known as the “American Dream”. A famous author names James Truslow Adams stated, “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (The Epic of America p.214-15). In other words, he believes that the American dream gives everyone the opportunity to reach an ideal place where you can be happy and successful; you can get there from your ability and achievement as stated above. The American dream made immigrants believe that they have a chance of receive equal opportunity, but when they got here they realize that it was a myth. Whiling living in American they realize that they were limited on education, voting rights, and jobs opportunity.
To do what makes oneself happy. The American Dream is represented in many different ways and every person lives and chases a different version of the American Dream. Chris McCandless lived his American dream by walking alone into the wilderness of Alaska. The song written by Toby Keith, “American Soldier”, shows the price some pay for their dreams and ours to come true. Jay Gatsby died trying to acheive his dream and get the girl he loved, but died happy because he had pursued her until his death. The band All Time Low wrote a song called “The Reckless and The Brave” that brings a new light to how we go about achieving our dreams. So I believe that the American Dream is all about doing what will make you the happiest in the end.
money. The reason i think this is because the reason people go through all those
"The American Dream" is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguish by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. The American Dream is often something that humanity wonders about. What is the American dream? Many people discover success in a range of things. There are many different definitions of the American Dream. However, the American Dream embraces prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era.
Comparing the perspective of the American dream in the 1920’s to the American Dream in the 1940’s and present day seems to be a repeating cycle. The American dream is always evolving and changing. The American dream for present day is similar to the dream of the 1920’s. An Ideal of the American life is to conform to what our society has determined is success. Money, materialism and status had replaced the teachings of our founding fathers in the 1920’s. A return to family values and hard work found its way back into American’s lives in the 1940’s. The same pursuit of that indulgent lifestyle that was popular in the roaring twenty’s has returned today for most Americans, many Americans are living on credit and thinking that money and the accumulation of material items can solve all problems. Through film, literature, art and music, an idealized version of what it means to be an American has changed from money, materialism, and status of the 1920s to hard work and family values of the forties.
The American Dream is a personal thing. Every person’s belief or thought on what the American Dream is different than anybody else’s. There is one noticeable common thread between every conceivable Dream though: the dream is to live a better life socially, monetarily, or contentedly than your parents did. The conflicts at the time helps determine what aspect of life you wish to improve upon, but it will always be the same principal as long as America stands free.
In the Oxford Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as the traditional social ideals of the United States of America: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. People have the right of life and liberty, but happiness is not a right. Happiness can only be given by the amount of effort a person gives. People who have determination to devote their Life and exercise their Liberty to the accomplishment of discovering their talent and use what they like doing to achieve a goal. The film, Pursuit of Happiness, shows the American Dream being achieved by the main character, Chris Gardner, by working hard and using his talents. Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness goes through overcoming obstacles which shows that the American Dream is possible through faith, perseverance, and a focus on family values.
What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of myriad of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream as long as any two people hold a different meaning. What it does universally represent, however, it the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires under a political umbrella of democracy.
On the contrary, a main reason why we struggle to find happiness is the fact that we are often blinded from its true definition, and convinced to seek it in places where it can’t be found. In today’s society, false pictures of what this concept really means have been painted in our minds by outside sources. One of the major causes of these fabricated characterizations is blamed on the media. When we watch the television and see someone who is well known walking around in a suit with a supermodel next to his side, we jump to the conclusion that he is a happy person. But, that isn’t always the case. Fame and fortune do not automatically guarantee happiness. It is such an intangible subject that it makes it hard for someone to fully grasp its true concept.