What Do Rich People Have That The Poor Does Not Have Apart From Money? The rich has money which the poor does not have but aside that, there are other urbane possessions of the rich that the poor don't have and I will just write on10 of such. The rich has money because they have learnt how to make money flow to them effortlessly but the poor would never know or do that These other urbane possessions of the rich include: 1. Wealth Mindset The rich has learnt that his mindset is everything and thus he guards jealously never allowing weeds and negative thoughts to live therein and making every effort to avoid the victim mentality. But the poor has accepted his condition as his fate and thus makes no efforts to extricate himself from the poverty pool. 2. Personal and Financial Discipline The rich has taught himself both physical and financial discipline. He does not speak out of tune, he has a cultured mannerism, is often courteous and humble. He also...
What Is The American Dream, And What Does It Entail?
The American dream is the idea that everyone, regardless of where they were born or what social status they came from, will achieve their own version of success in a society where everyone has the opportunity to advance.
Rather than through chance, the American dream is thought to be accomplished by sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work.
The American Dream in Context
In his best-selling 1931
book Epic of America, writer and historian James Truslow Adams coined the word.
"That dream of a land in which life
should be better, richer, and fuller for all, with opportunity for everyone
based on skill or achievement," he said.
"It is a daunting dream for the European upper classes to interpret properly," Adams continued, "and too many of us have grown tired and suspicious of it." It's not just a dream of fast cars and high wages; it's a dream of social order in which each man and woman can reach the full potential of their natural abilities and be recognized for it.
The American dream has much deeper roots than most people realize. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” says the Declaration of Independence.
Individuals will live their lives to the fullest in a community founded on these values. America developed primarily as an immigrant country, where being an American—and passing citizenship on to your children—did not entail becoming the child of an American.
The American Dream's Benefits and Drawbacks
The Benefits
Political and economic equality, as well as the rule of law and private property rights, are all essential for realizing the American dream. Individuals cannot make the decisions that will lead to success without them, nor can they be certain that their accomplishments will not be taken away from them by force.
The American dream promises liberty and justice for all. It provides the freedom to make both major and minor life choices, the freedom to aspire to bigger and better things and the chance of achieving them, the freedom to amass money, the ability to live a dignified life, as well as the right to live according to one's values, even though those values are not universally held or recognized
Horatio Alger's post-Civil War novels, in which poor yet hardworking teenage boys achieve success through grit, dedication, and luck, came to symbolize realizing the Dream.
The American dream also promises that one's birth conditions, including whether they were born citizens of the United States or refugees, will not fully decide one's future.
Drawbacks
Calling it a "dream" implies that these values haven't always manifested themselves in the lives of many real Americans and others who aspire to be Americans. The criticism that truth does not live up to the American dream is as old as the concept itself. The spread of settlers into Native American lands, slavery, the restriction of the vote (at least initially) to white male landlords, and a long list of other injustices and obstacles have all hampered the fulfillment of the American dream for many people.
Since the 1970s, income inequality has risen dramatically, making the American dream less attainable for those who aren't either wealthy or born into wealth. According to the United States Department of State, According to Census data on family income, real family income began to rise much faster among the highest earners than among other segments of American society.
These facts, however, do not dim the American dream's luster as an ideal and a light for all nations.
How Can the American Dream Be Measured?
Homeownership is also used as an illustration of achieving the American dream today. It is a sign of financial prosperity and freedom, and it denotes the right to have power over one's own living space rather than being at the mercy of a landlord's whims. The fulfillment of the American dream is also represented by owning a company and becoming one's own boss. Ability to education and healthcare have also been mentioned as elements of the American Dream.
In the United States, home ownership has gradually risen over time, representing a key feature of owning your own property as a symbol of achieving the American Dream. For example, the homeownership rate at the end of 2020 was 65.8%, up 0.7 percent from the previous year.
Entrepreneurship has always played an important role in the American economy. Small businesses alone provided 1.6 million net jobs in 2019.
The American dream includes owning land, starting a company, and carving out a life of one's own design, and the United States, as a first-world country, allows people to pursue their interests without having to worry about basic necessities like education and healthcare.
Particular Points to Consider
Sociologist Emily S. Rosenberg discusses five elements of the American dream that have appeared in countries all over the world in her book Spreading the American Dream: American Economic and Cultural Expansion, 1890-1945. The following are some of them:
The idea that other countries should follow America's lead in terms of growth
Confidence in the free
market economy
Free trade deals and
foreign direct investment are favored.
Promotion of unrestricted
access to knowledge and culture
Acceptance of
government-provided private-sector protection
A variety of factors helped the American dream, giving the United States a strategic edge over other nations. For instance, compared to many other nations, it is geographically remote and has a temperate climate. It has a multicultural community, which companies can use to promote creativity in a global setting. Oil, arable land, and long coastlines are among the abundant natural resources.
Final Thoughts
The notion of the American dream remains one of the most distinctly "American" ideals—the ultimate belief that everyone can fulfill their dreams and create the life they want if they work hard enough.
This driving force dominates the economy through creativity and individual ambition, instilling a romantic notion in everyone attempting to succeed in America.
Though the American Dream has evolved to mean different things to different generations, it is undeniably part of the American identity and will always be.
#wealthisearned
American dream has evolved to me different things to different generations. As this time,as palatable as it is and as much as the American government strive to accomplish it, it may not be totally practicable though they may try.
ReplyDeleteIn Nigeria, it is very far from practicable. The rich are getting richer and the same applies to the poor who are getting poorer. Bright minds born into poor homes find themselves at a totally disadvantaged position. It leaves a lot of questions. How is A born into a rich family and B into a poor family. A enjoys the good things of life while B does not. Would one say A is lucky while B is not.
How does B break away from the poor home environment and make it in our present Nigeria??
If he is earning 50k per month or start a business with a low capital, how does he may it in order to achieve this dream???
These questions needs answers
American dream has become a measure of one's financial strength
The American Dream is not a Government funded or Government driven program or project. It is a set of principles engrained deeply in the core brain of the American that with hard work in a free enterprise society, he can achieve his wildest dreams irrespective of his situation of birth.
DeleteThere is no comparison between Nigeria and America in this regard. Over the years Nigerians have depended majorly on certificates and white collar jobs to survive. Nigerians regard those who have no certificates as nothing even if they by dint of hard work and deep labour elevate themselves from the conditions of their birth. But things are changing now as many Nigerians realize that white collar jobs have failed them and thus they should be willing to look outside the employee mentality to that of self employment.
Anyone can change their story irrespective of their circunstances of birth
The American dream is a great privilege as far as citizens of America is concern. To have an in-built system available reliable and works for sounds great.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, l see these Constituents working for any individual once the person fixes him/herself.
African leaders can emulate this ideals which is very realistic to attain. Once we start from the scratch, Africa can be great cos we also heavily endowed in terms of resources.
Good write here... American dream is for Americans I think. Realizing this kind of dream in Nigeria is a very hard nut to crack. However, as a Nigerian I see these dreams of America as a reminder that Everyone human can make a good life of its own with a disciplined Open Mind.
ReplyDelete