The American Dream is a funny concept. It's this concept that we strive so hard to achieve, but I do not believe that there is a sole American Dream. It's an idea, but the actual dream depends on the person. Achieving the American Dream does not mean that you have a nice house with a white picket fence, green grass, and a picture-perfect family. To me, living the American Dream means that you wake up every morning without dreading the day ahead. That is my goal- to wake up every day excited to take on a new challenge or just be content with where I am. I think that the American Dream has historically been measured by wealth and success, but I believe that success is relative and wealth does not correlate with peace of mind. I will be living the American Dream when I am the NFL Commissioner, not just because I will be making $40 million a year, but because it is something I love and aspire to achieve.
This may just be my naive 17-year-old self, but I believe that if you pick your job based on the amount of money you make, then you are not truly living the American Dream. The American Dream is the result of opportunity. The reason that this "dream" is associated with American is because of our history as a land of opportunity, whether that is true or not is up to the individual. If you want to take live the American Dream, you have to take it upon yourself to take advantage of the opportunities life presents. Some will have it easier than others, and this may be a result of extraneous circumstances, but, to me, the American Dream is achieved when you are happy with your stage of life and consider yourself successful.
When I think of wealth, I think of a Gatsby-style life- over-the-top, flamboyant displays of proving that you have money. That's just at first thought, though. However, I honestly think of money when I think of wealth, and, typically, I label people as wealthy based on their material items. When I see someone driving a really nice car or living in a huge house, I automatically associate them with wealth. If my dad is there during my judgment time, though, he always says, "Yes, but you don't know what goes on behind those doors. You never know how much debt someone has accumulated,and you don't know how they came to be able to purchase those." My dad is never one to hastily pass judgment. I define wealth as having a lot of money; I've never really known any other use of the word. I do not care so much about a person's wealth, but I find it interesting to see how they use their wealth or present it. Some people are very discreet, some donate a large sum to charity, and some throw immaculate parties.
In America, I typically see wealth associated with power, and vice versa. Money may not buy happiness, but it does buy power. Money makes things happen. I do not always think that that should be the case, but it is. Americans' views on wealth and poverty are typically based on how they are raised and the environment in which they are raised. People from other countries come to America with the idea that wealth is easily achieved. Americans have this "get rich quick" mentality that actually is not reality. Poverty is looked down upon and pitied. I also think that Americans have a common assumption that those who are impoverished are unintelligent. This is another contributor to the idea that getting a job and becoming wealthy is easy. Americans stereotypically see wealth as easy to attain because the wealthy are so heavily spotlighted, but it is those in poverty who actually make up more of the population than the wealthy.
I think that income inequality is a major problem around the world. There is a huge discrepancy between the wealthy nations and those that are impoverished, and I do not think that this is fair. I think that those who are wealthy should do what they can to help those in poverty. However, I do not place as much emphasis on a person's financial status. I care more about a person's character, and I think that happiness and moral standards contribute more to the American Dream. I also think it's incredibly important to keep in mind that perception is not always reality. If your dreams are correlated with money, then you will live an unfulfilled life.
