A Speech On America 's Confidence Crisis

With social media playing a huge role in society, us Americans are becoming more materialistic. We are being influenced by people who give us these unrealistic expectations in life and always making us want more in life than what we have. We try living up to these expectations by buying elaborate accessories, when in reality they serve no purpose to us, making us feel empty on the inside.  Like Steinbeck said, “We trample friends, relatives and strangers who get in the way of our achieving it; and once we get it we shower in on psychoanalysts to try to find out why we are unhappy” (Steinbeck). Despite all of this, us Americans still claim to be realistic, yet we pay $800 for a phone just so we can be like everyone else. We buy name brand clothes that are overpriced. We pay $7 for a cup of coffee. The list goes on and on. The American Dream Steinbeck relates to is not something someone can buy, rather is it something you earn. As Steinbeck said, the American Dream is “yearnings toward what we wish were and hope we may be: wise, just, compassionate, and noble. The fact that we have this dream at all is perhaps an indication of its

Have you ever looked at yourself saying, "I hate my life"? I wanted to be happy. I longed to be  one of the happiest person in the world. But I also, desired meaning in my life. I started searching for answers to some of my questions:Who am I? Why in the world am I here? And where am I going? I also wanted to be free because my whole life I was captive with fears. Freedom to me was not just doing what I want to do, but

Only a couple of decades ago, hard work and determination guided people to obtain a piece of the opportunity America is all about. Lately there is a surge in having our fifteen minutes of fame and work less, buy more. There are Americans who feel that materialism is the way to obtain true American happiness. TV ads bombard the population with information on what is truly needed to be the best. All media outlets convey how to be more like the famous. Commercials inform on how this star uses this phone and this athlete buys this car. In trying to assimilate to others, some continue to spend even though they cannot afford it. In “Framing Class, Vicarious Living,

Susan Wolf addresses these questions an aim to bring out the distinctive characteristics of the reasons and motives that give our lives meaning. Wolf claims that "meaningful lives are laws of active engagement and projects of worth" (Wolf, 206). Suggesting that when a person is actively engaged in anything they feel alive and life is more worth living. Nevertheless, Wolf explains that neither religion or science is sufficient for leading a meaningful life, claiming that a life of passion could corrupt the pursuit of happiness if you decide to dedicate your life to how you feel. Suggesting that working toward some goal that is substantial than yourself, can be hard work if you don 't have any passion or connection to it. According to Wolf, the subjective element is necessary for a meaningful life and arises from active engagement in some activity that one loves. In addition, the passive attachment to objectively valuable things are not sufficient for meaning. The feeling of fulfillment originates when “one is doing what one loves, or when one is engaging in activities by which one is gripped or excited” (Wolf, 207).

America’s historic inaugural statement, “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” is a truly seminal appeal to mankind. This line turned the first page of the epochal American saga that has since transformed the world’s moral and political framework. However, today as we bustle through our daily lives, it is easy to take for granted just how fortunate we actually are to be Americans. Despite our domestic and foreign quandaries, America is still so wealthy that our notion of poverty, where even the poor are fed, housed, clothed, and entertained, is well above the squalor that much of the world understands as poverty. Famine, war’s destruction, and other calamities are a relatively foreign concept in the American psyche, and our prosperity has unintentionally disengaged us from true gratefulness for our homeland. In times like these it is prudent to take a moment to reflect on what really matters.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” A question we all have asked ourselves. Also, the name of a speech given by a professor, named Mark Edmunson. Throughout this verbalization he explicates that people don’t genuinely go after what they optate and what makes them ecstatic, but having paramount figures in their lives tell you what you should value. They tell you what is right and wrong, but it’s mostly how they feel predicted off their own tastes, which does not benefit you. Edmunson explains how people have an idea of what they want to be because of the money that occupation makes, but later they ascertain that they want to do something else. But if they wanted to do it they could, they would just have to push through it; in the cessation, it wouldn’t be something they would relish.

Imagine not having any purpose, or at least so far as you can see. This would be quite depressing, since everyone wants a purpose and a reason to go through trials. This theory is illustrated in the book, “The Alloy of Law”, by Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson uses third person point of view and diction to reveal how self-discovery brings happiness.

As time has went on the meaning of the American Dream has altered. When Adams trademarked the term the American Dream, the idea of it was for people to become “better and richer and fuller,” (Adams 412), but now as 20th century inventions have been introduced to society the dream has changed. People want what others have and what is portrayed as glamorous and prestigious. A prime example is Gary Soto’s recollection of his childhood obsession with wanting to be like the families he saw on the television saying, “I very much wanted to imitate [the families from Leave It to Beaver and Father

On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered a speech name A Crisis of Confidence, in this speech he did fittingly address the nation about a two pressing issues. The first was the reason for the abuts cancellation of his speech 10 days earlier and him retreating to Camp David for those ten days. Secondly, and more important how him and the rest of the nation was going to handle the energy crisis that was crippling the countries oil supply. Coming into this speech President Carter had cancelled a speech ten days earlier concerning the energy crisis that was made out to be one of his most important speeches thus far in his presidency. After unexpectedly cancelling his speech, as shown in this Washington Post, “President Carter late yesterday abruptly canceled tonight's scheduled speech to the nation, which White House officials had billed as his most important address on energy since his "oral equivalent of war" speech two years ago.”

Once one determines their purpose, one may achieve fulfilment through living a righteous life. Specifically, by determining ways to benefit and contributing society. Socrates touches on how righteous attributes are beneficial to not only to yourself but to the community as well. “Wealth does not bring about excellence, but excellence makes wealth and everything else good for men, both individually and collectively.” (Plato, n.d.). One may live a fulfilling life through mission work and focusing on the needs of the people around them.

So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating

We all have things that makes us ourselves and something worth living for. If we find something we have a purpose to live for but, we don’t know how to obtain it, due to lack of work-ethic, this can lead to serious darkness. Creating a frustrated life that could lead to depression and beyond. I myself know that I was made to make people feel good about themselves and find a purpose to continue pushing on through all the hard times they go through. I know that I was meant to help others achieve their goals and this is what makes me get up and continue pursuing my dreams. If my parents were to give me everything I wanted in life, I for one, probably wouldn’t give a damn about others and two, wouldn’t know how to pursue and work for my own dreams, let alone help others achieve their

Therapy can help clients find their purpose through re-evaluating one’s beliefs, morals, and goals, and desires. Asking my client, “What is your purpose in life” will be the focal point in helping my client begin a path of self-discovery to find their meaning and purpose in life. Over time I will work with my client to discuss the various aspects of their lives that may have led to their dissatisfaction. I will allow my client the opportunity to outline ways to regain their sense of satisfaction with

In this Article, it open with a story told about men who was in a time where Hitler made these camps for Jews. The man who was a survivor, His wife and family and considered it as a meaning. The man name was Frankl who wrote a book about the experience and him being a therapist on the campus and told about 2 people who wanted to physically harm themselves. When Frankl talks about meaningfulness he talks about a reason to live. In the article, it also talks about how many people don’t feel like there is a purpose to leaving and if there was it was nowhere to be found. When we look at meaningfulness many people believe God has a plan for all of us and that’s why we were but on earth and we have to wait till we discover this. When trying to understand it may be challenging because there are bumps they may bring us down to believe there is nothing. A good example would be Frankl and him making it through the camps even though many of us may know it is hard to know if you will stay alive or be dead the next day.” by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love -- the more human he is." In the article, it talks about this quiet and how sometimes we need to help others and not always consider ourselves.

“Small wonder our national spirit is husk empty. We have more information but less knowledge. More communication but less community. More goods but less goodwill. More of virtually everything save that which the human spirit requires. So distracted have we become sating this new need or that material appetite, we hardly noticed the departure of happiness”