An ideal life starts with one’s self. Overtime the building of relationships factor into your short and long-term goals to arrive at your future. It is your responsibility to create yourself into whatever it takes to reach the ideal life. As you struggle, several resources and means will make your ideal life that much easier to accomplish. Throughout it, the most important resource is your reputation; one way to build a reputation is debt. The character of reputation gained from debt is a pivotal step to achieve the ideal life through the role debt plays in our economy.
Everyone wishes to achieve different goals in their life. The goals help individuals reach a step closer to what they perceive as the ideal life. Therefore, an ideal life is not universally the same, but is centered on the individual. What is universal is a persons’ reputation whether
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The author expresses his founding from a recent poll that says the recent recession has now morphed the infamous “American Dream” from owning a house and starting a family to breaking free of their personal debt (Levin). I am of two minds about Levin’s theory of the “American Dream”. On one hand, I agree that the “American Dream” has changed from years ago. On the other hand, I am not sure if the author is correct in implying the change is as recent as he thinks. More often than not to be debt free has been the “American Dream” for several generations. As soon as credit was first in applied into the American lifestyle, it brought a sense of relief to those that needed now and could pay later. Through this system, debt was created; it made the banking system stable again and let people buy houses and cars. The ability to use credit gave borrowers a trustworthy appearance where they could then provide for themselves and their family. What was then known as the “American Dream” or as some would see know as the ideal
... continuous injustice in financial prospect because the top dogs are too occupied with new ways of making money for themselves while the rest of America are focused on putting a roof over their heads or feeding the entire family. For few fortunate individuals, they will be able to accomplish their ultimate American Dream; however, most Americans will often shun away for the life time of financial progression. Like George Carlin, a comedian once said during his stand up show about the American Dream, “The owners in this country know the truth, it is called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” In reality, when the prospects of the American Dream is ignored by our society, dreams often become unfilled and expectations for superior life turn out to be a sham, an enduring nightmare for most people in the pursuit for their American dream.
The American Dream provides Americans hope that if they work hard, they will eventually be successful, no matter how penniless the person. To understand the construction of this topic, there is a need to understand the circumstances involved. The Epic of America, The narrative in which the American Dream was constructed, was produced in the nineteen thirties. During this time, the Great Depression was at the height of destruction, and the new president Franklin D. Roosevelt created the “New Deal,” which inspired newly-found hope. In his Second Inaugural Address, he voiced his vision for the expanded role that the government would take in American's lives by stating, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little” (Franklin D. Roosevelt). This began the facade of hope towards the impoverished folks attempting to achieve success. In reality the optimism and dedication given towards this dream is disproportional...
Some say the American dream is completely dead in today’s society. No. The American dream is alive and well for those who will go the extra mile for it. People may believe it is dead due to factors that may “hinder” a person from achieving it. These factors include, but are not limited to, discrimination, lack of job opportunities, debt, natural disasters, etc. These theories may be proven wrong in most cases, with the exception of some. The American dream is the idea that anyone, no matter the situation they are currently in, can eventually live a happy and stable life in America. The dream is attainable for a willing individual, who will work hard for what they want. This does not mean it will be easy, nor does it mean
Keli Goff declares in her article, The American Dream is Dead and Good Riddance, that the original American Dream is no longer on the minds of most Americans. She insists that most Americans no longer pursue the ideology of a nice house, educated children, and decent car that once fueled the ambitions of generations that have come and gone. A large number of people live alone in the U.S today with no children. With that being said, it’s statistically spoken that the dream is dying even though most of those loners want to direct their dream in the direction of a partner and children. Goff proceeds to ridicule the home ownership portion of the dream by pointing to a mortgage “meltdown” that came from the pursuit of home ownership by those who
The main ideas of the American dream as well as the way we are exposed to them is ever-changing. Nowadays, to a large portion of individuals, the American dream is to own a big house and a nice car. . Though the term the “American Dream” was not introduced until 1931 by James Truslow Adams it was birthed with the signing of the Declaration of Independence (Where Is the American Dream?). Founding fathers did not conjure this dream in means of monetary success but the ability and freedom to be as equally successful as how hard you work and not of what or who you are. The byproduct of such freedom could then be to own a big house and a nice car. One of the most infamous phrases in the Declaration of Independence,
For a long time, the popular myth of success and that of gender have shaped humans’ minds and behaviors in a certain way. They set up a certain behavior model and provide people with an idealized reference for living their lives. However, people put too much emphasis on the bright side of these two widespread but outdated beliefs, and surround themselves in ideal images constructed by the myths. With humans and society marching on, the age-old and deep-rooted myths are not completely suitable anymore. The old fashioned myths have become certain clichés. They sometimes conceal important social realities and convey a false image of what people really think and do. The dissonance between myth and reality sometimes disillusions people and may bring worse outcomes to the society. Wayne Dyer, an internationally renowned author declares, “What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.” Although part of the myths is still valuable and instructive, in order to make them more tenable, people need to be cautious and critical and be aware of their weakness. Success should be defined not only by wealth and reputation, as the current myth states, but also by personal happiness, which can be achieved through the combination of honesty, hard work, opportunities and s...
The American dream is something that has been epically built up in the media and in each individual Americans thoughts. To some the American dream is the pursuit of happiness, to others the shallowness of wealth. In the Novel the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and movie Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen, which is based off of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. Characters fall short of their own views of the American dream.
The American Dream is the traditional, social ideals of the U.S. such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity. “The American Dream is the ideals of freedom, equality and opportunity, traditionally held to be available to every American” (Dictionary.com). It was believed to be a life of material happiness and comfort. Nowadays, The American Dream is nothing more than a mere stipulation. Bob Herbert and Cal Thomas are two individuals that bring up quite a few key points in their arguments pertaining to the American Dream and the economy. While one focuses in on how we as Americans had a huge hand in the current crisis of our “hidden” reality, the other focuses in on the government’s hand in this affair as to cause him to actually question is the American Dream really over?
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.
Years ago, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. In recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression, unemployment and interest rates have skyrocketed. The “American Dream” is an idea that was once a commonly accepted ideology in this country. It has since become only a fallacy. The “American Dream” is no longer an attainable idea, only a fantasy. The “American Dream” is not a true dream that will ever be equally attainable by everyone.
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
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.
As one ponders on how to live a good life, many ideas come to mind. Whether this may be wealth, family, or beauty, the early philosopher’s theories need to be taken into consideration. Those early philosophers include Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and The Epicureans. These four committed their lives towards bettering life, and are the basis of most philosophical theories. It is evident that these four need to be read, understood, and discussed to better understand one’s life. They always pondered on the thought of how to have a perfect life and society. When one makes their own theory, based upon these early philosophers, not only do they need to establish a strong belief system, it is required to practice this too. Plato had the most basic of theories, being that only virtue was needed in life to be happy and nothing else. For Aristotle, he used Plato’s foundation and added that external goods, such as wealth, respect, friends, and beauty were all necessary. Without one of these, Aristotle believes that one cannot live a happy life. For the Stoics, they settled on a balanced approached between virtue and external goods, saying that virtue is necessary, yet external goods are preferred too. The Epicureans largely argue the Stoics view, and present that pleasure (tranquility) is the goal of every life, but virtues and friends are required for this. Each theory has many critics, even with Aristotle being a critic of his own theory. None seems perfect, yet all fit today’s modern society. I found that I agree with the Stoics theory the most, and find that any external good is fine as long as virtue is the basis of that person’s life.
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.
Some people are pleased by the presence of material items and a large group of friends surrounding them throughout their every action, but that is not entirely satisfying. A “good life” is one that provides fulfillment and, consequently, happiness. This type of life cannot be achieved solely by material gain nor popularity, but instead by assisting others.