Rediscovering The Meaning Of The American Dream
The idea of the American Dream has been lost, I think. It’s now all about material gain, building yourself from nothing to something, and, in the end, having a nice house and an expensive robot butler.
But the original definition of the American Dream represents something completely different to me. From the original book, Epic of America, that defined the term:
The American Dream … has not been a dream of material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as a man and woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in the older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class.
What I get from this is the idea that the American Dream is less about material wealth, and more about being a complete, happy person. And, to me, this definition is much more attainable and fulfilling.
I’ve developed a lifestyle of traveling, learning, and living that costs me less than $1,000 a month to sustain. I love my life. I could fail to bring in a single cent of income, and my savings from 2 years of retail working would keep me funded for years to come. I’ll be giving back to society in a big way — when I’m ready. I’m just preparing myself for that moment by constantly learning and making myself a more complete person right now.
But somehow the American Dream has mutated into a beast of unfulfilling hard work and monetary gain. It’s turned into the idea of dedicating yourself to the things that aren’t the most important to you, so that you have lots of money that you don’t necessarily need in the bank.
This is why I propose we move back to the original idea of the American Dream. Enrich yourself and do the things you want to do. Use your time and resources more wisely. Take singing classes, learn self defense, dedicate yourself to acting. What have you really wanted to do, that you haven’t allowed yourself to do yet?
Complete yourself as a person. In the United States — and in many other developed nations today — you have the opportunity to drop everything and immerse yourself in those things that matter most to you.
So go do it.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Right on, Clay. Short and to the point.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:32 am
Good post brother. I cued some motivational music there at the end.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:12 am
not to burst bubbles.. but drop it all in kansas and you’re fine. drop it all and do what you want, and try still paying rent in LA..
May 4th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
No bubbles burst, Brian. I’ll be doing exactly this in LA in just a few months. It’s not as hard as you think.
May 8th, 2009 at 7:45 am
I only found my American dream once traveled abroad. Being American and living in other countries has been great for me and love it. Plus, American robot butlers are really lazy these days. If you want a good robot butler work, you gotta go Korean. They work hard for every watt they get.