The American Dream To Achieve Happiness

The American Dream, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” is a reason why my parents migrated from Yemen to United States of America in the late 70’s and early 80’s. My father was a hard working citizen, who spent little time at home and iced his back and feet when he did; he endured strenuous work before retiring from the railroad. My mother had the difficult duty to raise a boy basketball team and two daughters. My parents have always taught us, that if you want something, you work hard, if you work hard enough, the reward will be well worth it. This childhood lesson has followed me everywhere I go. As a child, I knew that there were many mountains to cross, and a mountain is made up of various hills. During rough times in my community, the uphill climbs lead to many opportunities. I would find the positive by assisting local law enforcement, the D.A.R.E. Program, with projects such as picking up trash or painting over vandalism at schools, parks, and neighborhoods.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is every person’s god given right, but what exactly is happiness? Americans have fallen in love with the idea of success, we fantasize about cars, clothes and caviar. We want to be living the high life, but the only way to access the high life is to work for it. To climb the ladder of success till you get to the summit. It’s the American Dream, but that’s just it, it’s nothing but a dream, a fantasy. The reality of life is a boring and stressful existence where many of us are just struggling to make a few dollars. It would suffice to say that the American Dream is in all actuality the American Nightmare. The American Nightmare is a pitiful existence inside a self-made

The topic of The American Dream has been brought up on many occasions. The arising issue that still ascends is whether or not The American Dream is alive or dead in the United States. The American Dream has come to the generalization of the personal perspective of any individual. The history of The American Dream has always gone back to the common man thinking of their future generations to come and how he will implant a positive outcome throughout it. Many now believe that the ideal plan of The American Dream cannot even be met anymore. Values and beliefs are now being questioned towards the aspect of upward mobility, the cost of education, jobs, and even affordable housing. Referring to an executive editor and vice president of Time Reporting, he states, “combined with a formidable American work ethic, made the pursuit of happiness more than a full-time proposition” (Meacham, Keeping The Dream Alive). This statement is targeted towards the actual definition of what The American Dream actually meant in various societies in the past. Happiness and a full-time of gratitude were critical aspects towards being met because it was the initial reason for this ideal. Some of the key causes and components that affect the way The American Dream is supposed upon today is the basic principles of economics, education, and a downward spiral. These reasons lead to The American Dream being considered in a diverse way with much complexity. The American Dream was different from the past and

When the phrase “American Dream” is uttered, it is typically associated with having money or striving to have money. The dream of much of the public is to have money and to be able to purchase anything they desire whenever they want. For some, this dream is not about money, but it is about having the opportunity to better his or herself and his or her loved ones. In either case, there are certain circumstances and obstacles that make this dream increasingly difficult to attain. Some would even be willing to argue, the American dream is unattainable. “American Dream” is defined as the concept of every citizen of the United States having an equal opportunity to achieve success and happiness through hard work, sacrifices, and risk-taking (Fontinelle);

Many years ago today, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. It established America with the idea that its citizens would be guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, it is true that people have liberties and are free to pursue happiness. However, in recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Unemployment, growing economy inequality, and medical care have skyrocketed. Despite the odds, the American Dream is still a goal that many people strive for and hope to reach. In fact, an essay written by Brandon King, The American Dream: Dead, Alive or on Hold? He says, “the American dream is a dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with the opportunity for each according to his/her ability and achievement…” (King 610-611). Therefore, the problem with the American Dream lies not within the dream itself, but within the means people pursue to attain this dream.

To be happy, a person needs to have something that makes them happy. So even though the American Dream is to be happy, a person still needs to be able to achieve that happiness with an object. As I have discussed, that could be a variety of diffferent things. Money is a huge part to happiness. Without money, many things are not possible, such as my dream of a family. Money is probably the key to everyones happiness even if you wish it was not. Money buys everything and with money comes financial stybility which for anyone is a great thing to have. Although money itself is not the American dream it cintributes to the whole idea of being happy which is the American dream.

The American Dream has held a special place in the hearts of patriots since the very founding of America in 1776. It has been a subject of many authors who grapple with its attainability, and is a beacon of hope gazed upon by victims of circumstance. The Dream has been interpreted by great minds in various ways, and has been deemed both an evil deception and a great promise of a better life. However, the American Dream has morphed from this promise of opportunities and second chances--in fact, it has become viewed as a cause for societal competition and the reason for decreasing happiness among the American people. As Americans attempt to “achieve their goals,” and “keep up with the Joneses,” they subject themselves to the materialistic cycle of greed. Success, and the goal of the American Dream, has been redefined. To be put simply, the American Dream is now to be richer than one’s neighbor, despite the fact that happiness--and thus, the Dream--cannot be achieved solely through wealth and material goods.

The United States of America is the most powerful and wealthy country in the world. The varieties of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the enrichments within the "melting pot" of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. Even though America has been formed upon these diversities, its inhabitants- the "average American"- have a single thing in common; a single idea; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple concept; success. Americans dream of a successful marriage, family, successful job, and own a Victorian-style home with a white picket fence and an oak tree with a swing tire in the front yard. The

In the earlier societies, the American Dream was to “make it in America”; moreover, to have success. From my perspective, the American Dream is success, but success means nothing without happiness. Many Americans express the want for financial stability, success ,or fame , but it has been proven that money and fame does not mean happiness. In cases like the suicides of famous people like Robin Williams, the average person would wonder why someone who has achieved the American Dream would kill himself. Close friends and family of Williams expressed to the media that he was not happy and was very depressed. Money and fame cannot buy happiness. My dream is to have success, but to have happiness within that

The American Dream is the belief that with one’s efforts and use of freedom “success” can be evident. Life may not go as you planned, it’s essential to keep a positive attitude as well as a positive life. Misfortunes may come your way, a positive attitude is needed in every aspect of life: work, your health and your relationships. The foundation of the “American Dream” is when some individual tries to obtain wealthy life. Achieving a quality of life superior to others is ideal.

The American Dream is known as a dream where people can come to America to be whatever they want and succeed in life. Lorraine Hansberry author of A Raisin in the Sun wrote her paper with a form of The American Dream in the story because everyone in the story manages to have a dream to be somebody or have something. The best thing about the American Dream is that most of the time people succeed and learn a lesson after the all the hard work you do to make your dream become real all that is “...requires is hard work.” (The American Dream).

The American Dream is something often referenced by politicians, businesses, and other media producers, but the achievability of the American Dream, as well as the nature of the dream itself, is not a topic that is often discussed. One of the details that is concerning about the American Dream itself, is that it relies on money as a success indicator. Money is not indicative of happiness. Money is extremely difficult to achieve. Money relies on elements like higher education, which is at a scarcity for low income families (Gladwell). Money doesn’t rely on the ability to work earnestly, but on the freedom to work earnestly, a freedom almost half of Americans are deprived of (Prof. Golden). The American Dream relies on the existence of median income levels, which are disappearing (Priester, Mendelson). So we must ask ourselves is the American Dream still achievable? The answer is no, the American Dream is not practically achievable, since nearly all success indicators rely on chance, and do not indicate happiness

The American Dream, seen by many as a great set of ideals and opportunities to live by and strive to achieve. The american dream ensures all americans equal opportunity in the seeking of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The pursuit of happiness is a peculiar aspect of the american dream. Over the past 200 or so years, has this ideal morphed from the general contentment of one’s livelihood to the outright pursuit of artificial happiness? Yes i think that this change has occurred, and it comes with it some detrimental effects. Having high hopes and always trying to be happy may lead one to be less happy.

The American dream; it has a certain ring to it that gives us a touch of pride somewhere deep inside. We gravitate towards thinking we live in the greatest country worldwide and although we cooperate with others like Canada, we consider ourselves to have the best of everything. We do not openly boast about how many millions of Americans struggle daily to remain afloat in many ways nationwide. Hitting rock bottom and having bills to pay on top of normal responsibilities like families can be so much pressure it can make a person desperate. The stigma and biased held toward people receiving benefits from welfare programs gives a sense of embarrassment and they struggle to either find work entirely or they take positions that are underpaid. Mark Robert Rank tells us, “In general, recipients work at jobs similar to those they held in the past- positions requiring semi-skilled or unskilled labor, paying low wages, lacking benefits, and usually part-time” (119). Americans as a whole are far more wealthy than other countries and we hear constantly about other countries that are starving or sick. In our own country we have similar problems and sometimes a blind eye is turned because it is not an admirable subject. Moreover, we look at the stereotypical person on welfare as a menace to society when in truth, some are struggling due to lack of proper work and to help them would be a great asset to the United States. The majority of people utilizing welfare programs have

At one time in this country the American Dream was more “spiritual fulfillment” than “material success” with the majority, close to 50% interpreting the American Dream as spiritual happiness (Hanson, 2010). For many years now, America has chased Adam Smith’s Dream of general wealth with firm will power and great material success (Whybrow, 2007). Whybrow expresses American social success with having material wealth, “the balance of the civil society has