What is the American Dream? Does the general definition of the American Dream differ from your personal American Dream? Please share your thoughts on this topic which is central to our class.
The American Dream at one time was defined as owning a house. Now it seems like the American Dream is buy now pay later. My American Dream is either to become a famous musicain or become a doctor. More importantly I want to have a wife who loves me for who I am, a few kids, an Orange Corvette, and a beach house in Hawaii. For my wife I want her to be able to work if she wants to or to stay home if she doesn't. This is my American Dream and nobody can tell me it won't happen.
the american dream most people think of is as Switchfoot says in their song "American Dream", as much money as possible. but my american dream isn't that, not by a long shot. sure i want money, but it's not the factor that rules my life. i dont spend every day in search of any way possible to make money. if i were to win the lottery right now, or finish one of my books im writing and get it published, the first thing my money would go towards is building my churches building. we need 4 million dollars to fund it and if i made 5 million off a book, 4 million would go to my church. of course i want the other part of the american dream, beautiful wife, a few kids, and a nice house, but i think the american dream is overrated, you should be living YOUR dream.
Most people say the same thing when you ask what the american dream is. They say it is the perfect family husband and wife with two kids, living in the perfect house with a white fence, and having the perfect live. when really thats not the american dream at all because if you ask some one what their american dream is it is nothing like that everyone wants something different. No two people have the same american dream, thats why it is called the AMERICAN dreams because everyone is free to want something different for their lives thats what america is all about.
the american dream should be what makes a person happy. personally i am happy with just being able to get by. i would be perfectly and completely happy with just the bare necessities. the american dream used to just be simple things like owning a house with a white picket fence and green shutters with a wife two kids and a dog. now people have to have huge mansions with all kinds of crazy stuff in it that they really don't need. this is probably part of the reason that the economy is in the position that it is in right now. all the credit card companies are trying to make the american dream seem like its a tangible item that you can buy anywhere. in reality though, living the american dream is a feeling that a person gets. the american dream is just accomplishing something for yourself basically. don't let money make you someone who you don't want to be.
I personally agree with pinballwizard, most people DO think that The American Dream is fame, fortune, and a perfect life that is difficult for anyone to achieve. I believe people has lost the real meaning of The American Dream by living up to the expectations civilization and not their personal pleasures. Of course it's great to have a lot of money, being famous and having the apparent "perfect" life but I don't think that's going to make people happy and achieve a personal goals in life. People should try to aim for what they believe to be a good life for themselves.
The american dream is different for everyone. For some people it could be a house with a wife, two kids and a dog. For other people it could be lots of money and a huge house. And sone people its getting just enough to get by. It all depends on who you are and how you are raised. For me I like to have enough to get by. its nice to have a little extra sometime but if your doing your best and are proud of your self then thats all that counts
I think that the american dream is to live in a nice house with a family, and a dog.My dream is to make it big somehow, or someway. I don't really agree with pinball wizard and how he states that "now it seems the american dream is buy now pay later" A lot of people work for what they have. Even though it may not seem like it because of all of the debt and for closures were facing, but a lot of people work really hard for their money and their homes just so their family can live comfortably.
to shadowsamus i agree with you too, i dont search for money either i believe if you work or hardest and you have enough to get by then you are doing good.But on the other hand some people are just happy with nothing , having a family and kids makes there day. but as long as i have enough to get by and support myself and family then that just enough for me.
I think what the American dream is the idea of having a perfect life. you know like the beautiful wife, the son and daughter, the big house, nice paying job, and the cycle of just perfect everyday life. My personal dream however is not the same as the American dream. I dont care about the ton of money and the huge house I would be ok with the average. Sure it would be great to get a nice house with alot of money, but all i want is a family with kids and just move on and be happy no matter what goes on. they dont have to lie and say that life will be perfect because humans in general are not perfect so we are bound to make mistakes. So I just want to be able to work through the problems and make life good for me, and the people around me.
I agree with shadowsamus. Many people just want to be rich. I would love to be rich but sometimes you have to go for something more realistic. You can dream big but then you have to work harder. To me that is not a problem but I could careless if I was rich. I would live in cardboard box on the side of the road as long as I was with the girl I love. My American Dream is many things but mainly I just want to be with the girl I love.
To 1234567 I agree, when i first thought of the american dream i thought of exactly what MIZUNO said but then i put more thought into it and when 1234567 said"the american dream is just accomplishing something for yourself basically. don't let money make you someone who you don't want to be," i agreed with it and it made sense!! This is something i wish my parent had taught me along time ago, before i got my job. I would not have got it but i would have remembered it and when the time came for me to relize it, i would have been happy my parents told me earlier in life!!
the American dream I think became to be known as ‘looking to a better life’. no matter how high you can climb you’ll always want more. the American dream is like owning a house… having a family… living a happy live and dying happy. All it is to me is to be able to live the way I do. Like my screen name world unseen. I live in a sheltered life and I don’t mind. I like the fact that my dream is to get to the top even if it means that I can get help by friends and family. My American dream is to really do something with my life and to help others.
I have to agree with worlduncn. It would only make sense to want a better life. No one gets up in the morning thinking that they don't want to improve themselves or their situation. If you did how would you get anywhere. In regards to plato's idea that to some the American dream is survival I have to respectfully disagree. If I could dream about my future I going to make it better than the present. It might not be realistic to say I'm going to live in a mansion and make tons of money, but that's why they call it a dream. If someone is starving then they are hoping they get whatever food they can, but they are dreaming of a buffet.
But what does "better" your life mean? To have more material goods? Perhaps bettering one's life means to rebel against the materialism of modern America--or even agains middle class values.
The American Dream is whatever you want it to be. Its not just having the perfect little family. Every family has their issues and no family is perfect. Like Mizuno said, "No two people have the same American Dream." It bothers me when people say that that American Dream is have a husband or wife two kids, a dog and a white picket fence with a white house and blue shudders. Its whatever you want it to be. If you want to rich and famous thats our American Dream, if you want to live in a pent house in the city and work for a big company thats our American Dream, or if you just want to changer your life around thats your American Dream. There is no specific definiton for the American Dream.
i agree with ozzie30, "The American Dream is whatever you want it to be." i believe that, since everyone is different, every American's dream should be also different. i know most of us have a misconception on the American Dream.
Is to provide there children every thing they needed and want,To have things and for people to have choice and differnt believes about differnt religion,theorys and beliefs and ways they do things.
18 comments:
The American Dream at one time was defined as owning a house. Now it seems like the American Dream is buy now pay later. My American Dream is either to become a famous musicain or become a doctor. More importantly I want to have a wife who loves me for who I am, a few kids, an Orange Corvette, and a beach house in Hawaii. For my wife I want her to be able to work if she wants to or to stay home if she doesn't. This is my American Dream and nobody can tell me it won't happen.
the american dream most people think of is as Switchfoot says in their song "American Dream", as much money as possible. but my american dream isn't that, not by a long shot. sure i want money, but it's not the factor that rules my life. i dont spend every day in search of any way possible to make money. if i were to win the lottery right now, or finish one of my books im writing and get it published, the first thing my money would go towards is building my churches building. we need 4 million dollars to fund it and if i made 5 million off a book, 4 million would go to my church. of course i want the other part of the american dream, beautiful wife, a few kids, and a nice house, but i think the american dream is overrated, you should be living YOUR dream.
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Most people say the same thing when you ask what the american dream is. They say it is the perfect family husband and wife with two kids, living in the perfect house with a white fence, and having the perfect live. when really thats not the american dream at all because if you ask some one what their american dream is it is nothing like that everyone wants something different. No two people have the same american dream, thats why it is called the AMERICAN dreams because everyone is free to want something different for their lives thats what america is all about.
the american dream should be what makes a person happy. personally i am happy with just being able to get by. i would be perfectly and completely happy with just the bare necessities. the american dream used to just be simple things like owning a house with a white picket fence and green shutters with a wife two kids and a dog. now people have to have huge mansions with all kinds of crazy stuff in it that they really don't need. this is probably part of the reason that the economy is in the position that it is in right now. all the credit card companies are trying to make the american dream seem like its a tangible item that you can buy anywhere. in reality though, living the american dream is a feeling that a person gets. the american dream is just accomplishing something for yourself basically. don't let money make you someone who you don't want to be.
I personally agree with pinballwizard, most people DO think that The American Dream is fame, fortune, and a perfect life that is difficult for anyone to achieve. I believe people has lost the real meaning of The American Dream by living up to the expectations civilization and not their personal pleasures. Of course it's great to have a lot of money, being famous and having the apparent "perfect" life but I don't think that's going to make people happy and achieve a personal goals in life. People should try to aim for what they believe to be a good life for themselves.
I wonder, in the early days of America, and to an extent, for some people in the present, survival is the American Dream
The american dream is different for everyone. For some people it could be a house with a wife, two kids and a dog. For other people it could be lots of money and a huge house. And sone people its getting just enough to get by. It all depends on who you are and how you are raised. For me I like to have enough to get by. its nice to have a little extra sometime but if your doing your best and are proud of your self then thats all that counts
I think that the american dream is to live in a nice house with a family, and a dog.My dream is to make it big somehow, or someway. I don't really agree with pinball wizard and how he states that "now it seems the american dream is buy now pay later" A lot of people work for what they have. Even though it may not seem like it because of all of the debt and for closures were facing, but a lot of people work really hard for their money and their homes just so their family can live comfortably.
to shadowsamus
i agree with you too, i dont search for money either i believe if you work or hardest and you have enough to get by then you are doing good.But on the other hand some people are just happy with nothing , having a family and kids makes there day. but as long as i have enough to get by and support myself and family then that just enough for me.
I think what the American dream is the idea of having a perfect life. you know like the beautiful wife, the son and daughter, the big house, nice paying job, and the cycle of just perfect everyday life. My personal dream however is not the same as the American dream. I dont care about the ton of money and the huge house I would be ok with the average. Sure it would be great to get a nice house with alot of money, but all i want is a family with kids and just move on and be happy no matter what goes on. they dont have to lie and say that life will be perfect because humans in general are not perfect so we are bound to make mistakes. So I just want to be able to work through the problems and make life good for me, and the people around me.
I agree with shadowsamus. Many people just want to be rich. I would love to be rich but sometimes you have to go for something more realistic. You can dream big but then you have to work harder. To me that is not a problem but I could careless if I was rich. I would live in cardboard box on the side of the road as long as I was with the girl I love. My American Dream is many things but mainly I just want to be with the girl I love.
To 1234567
I agree, when i first thought of the american dream i thought of exactly what MIZUNO said but then i put more thought into it and when 1234567 said"the american dream is just accomplishing something for yourself basically. don't let money make you someone who you don't want to be," i agreed with it and it made sense!! This is something i wish my parent had taught me along time ago, before i got my job. I would not have got it but i would have remembered it and when the time came for me to relize it, i would have been happy my parents told me earlier in life!!
the American dream I think became to be known as ‘looking to a better life’. no matter how high you can climb you’ll always want more. the American dream is like owning a house… having a family… living a happy live and dying happy. All it is to me is to be able to live the way I do. Like my screen name world unseen. I live in a sheltered life and I don’t mind. I like the fact that my dream is to get to the top even if it means that I can get help by friends and family. My American dream is to really do something with my life and to help others.
I have to agree with worlduncn. It would only make sense to want a better life. No one gets up in the morning thinking that they don't want to improve themselves or their situation. If you did how would you get anywhere. In regards to plato's idea that to some the American dream is survival I have to respectfully disagree. If I could dream about my future I going to make it better than the present. It might not be realistic to say I'm going to live in a mansion and make tons of money, but that's why they call it a dream. If someone is starving then they are hoping they get whatever food they can, but they are dreaming of a buffet.
But what does "better" your life mean? To have more material goods? Perhaps bettering one's life means to rebel against the materialism of modern America--or even agains middle class values.
The American Dream is whatever you want it to be. Its not just having the perfect little family. Every family has their issues and no family is perfect. Like Mizuno said, "No two people have the same American Dream." It bothers me when people say that that American Dream is have a husband or wife two kids, a dog and a white picket fence with a white house and blue shudders. Its whatever you want it to be. If you want to rich and famous thats our American Dream, if you want to live in a pent house in the city and work for a big company thats our American Dream, or if you just want to changer your life around thats your American Dream. There is no specific definiton for the American Dream.
i agree with ozzie30, "The American Dream is whatever you want it to be." i believe that, since everyone is different, every American's dream should be also different. i know most of us have a misconception on the American Dream.
Is to provide there children every thing they needed and want,To have things and for people to have choice and differnt believes about differnt religion,theorys and beliefs and ways they do things.
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