The Negative Essay: The American Dream

The American Dream 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

It serves to save Americans when they fall on hard times and need a little extra support. Everyone at one time or another faces obstacles; the safety net makes these times a little easier. The safety net consists of programs such as WIC, Medicare, the Federal Pell Grant Program, Unemployment Insurance, and more; these are only some of the major ones. Though some may think these programs are useless and unhelpful, according to americanprogress.org, 70 percent of Americans have benefitted from them at some point in their lives. Cleary, our safety net is making a positive impact; the website also states, “the War on Poverty succeeded in reducing the poverty rate by one-third, from 26 percent in 1967 to 16 percent in 2012.” It’s harder for a person to make it out of poverty when there is no help or support. An individual born into poverty in America can take the assistance of these programs to help them “move up” in today’s economy, whereas in some other countries this may not be an option. However, one should not depend or try to live off of America’s safety net; they should continue to work hard so that aid is no longer

If someone thinks negatively towards something the outcome will not be good, and vice versa. Thinking you can achieve the American dream is a major key in doing so, and some Americans are already on the right track. In the U.S., a survey showed that 36 percent of Americans say they have achieved the dream, and another 46 percent believe they are on the path of achieving it. It is not so easy, though, to always look on the bright side. Sometimes it seems as if nothing is going right; that is when negativity occurs. People can argue that mindset has little impact on the outcome, or that it does not matter how positive a person is because some things are just not meant to be. An article, however, proves this wrong. The paper argues how negative emotions prevent humans from flourishing; it also states, “if your ratio of positive to negative emotions is greater than 2.9013 to one, you will flourish both physically and psychologically.” If a person believes in themselves, they are more likely to accomplish their