Everyone has their own personal "American Dream," and they all look a little different.
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| Kinda like fingerprints! |
There are many reasons for the deaths of these American Dreams. The first one that comes to mind is a lack of opportunities/education due to poverty.
I agree with many of my peers that Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (which we recently studied in psychology) plays a big role in this idea of wealth/poverty, and the American Dream.
One's American Dream exists in the top "Self-actualization" tier of Maslow's Hierarchy. But, in order for someone to get to that place of being able to fulfill their potential, they must first meet the needs laid out in the bottom four tiers.
When living in poverty, people don't have the monetary necessities to meet the physiological and safety needs. Thus, they can't ever move on to work on realizing their American Dream because they're too focused on securing their next meal. For more than 46 million Americans, this is a reality.
For those that are able to meet their most basic needs, their American Dream is still not guaranteed. Connecting to the next level in the hierarchy, in my experience, the biggest dream killer can be one's own family and friends.
When my older brother was a senior in high school, I remember him having conversations with my parents about college majors and possible schools. I remember he expressed interest in majoring in English and becoming a writer but my parents strongly dissuaded him. They felt that he wouldn't make any money as a writer, so they encouraged him to pursue writing as a hobby alongside something more practical.
And that's exactly what he did.
That's a huge flaw in the idea of the American Dream: practicality. People are too focused on finances and job security to pursue their true passions. Maybe that's one reason only 1 in 3 Americans were considered "very happy" in this 2013 poll.
But the poll also shows that Americans, now more than ever, are placing less emphasis on wealth and its role in a happy life.
So maybe the tides are turning.
As my friends begin committing to colleges, exploring majors and career options, just as my brother did so many years ago, I see evidence of this change. Many are choosing to pursue careers in music, acting, visual art, and directing, not giving a single thought to money, because those are the things they're passionate about.
I wish I knew exactly what my American Dream consisted of, but I'm still in the process of figuring things out. I've considered becoming a pediatrician, an EMT, an aquatic veterinarian, a writer, an editor, a social worker, a teacher, or even joining the military. So who knows where I'll really end up.
There are a few things I know for sure:
I have a dream to be as brave as those mentioned above: pursuing passion for passion's sake.
I have a dream to do something meaningful-not necessarily to change the world, but to change someone's world.
I have a dream to love, and be loved.
I have a dream to be content, to have what I need, and to love what I have.
I agree with you about people not pursuing their dreams because of practicality. I think that like you said it's starting to change, but I also think that it will take a long time for society as a whole to see the benefit I'm pursuing something you're passionate about instead of something that will pay the bills.
ReplyDeleteMy mother always talks about how, in her generation, kids were encouraged to take out loans or do whatever it took to get themselves through school. They were also encouraged to pursue whatever it was they were passionate about. Our generation is much more money-conscious. What do you think contributes to this sense of practicality? And is it a good or a bad thing?
Deletewow I've just read Hailey Glick in a blog post (aka all the diagrams, pictures, sass, and personality flair). I find this extremely interesting in regards to my own life. Maslow's hierarchy nicely illustrates the struggles in my life and I feel like I now understand myself a little better and feel like less of a freak? So thank you for that hahaha. I know that my "American Dream" would be to be a leading actress on Broadway, inspiring others through my performances while simultaneously taking care of a family and travelling the world with my super gorgeous husband, serving people. The older I get, the more the world tells me that I can't do one, let alone all of these things. It's been really hard for me to commit myself to my dream because I'm lacking one of the essential tiers on Maslow's model, aka the esteem needs. I know I need never-ending esteem to proceed in my desired career path but I feel the negativity of the world harder than most people I believe. This makes it hard for me to commit myself to something that so many people fail at. And I am one of those friends(at least I hope we're friends) that would be making the decision to pursue the arts, since as I'm sure you know, I don't seem to enjoy anything practical. And let me tell you, it is scary as mess. I know that by statistics, I will probably fail and end up heartbroken and depressed so it's hard to continue. But I think that it's terrible that society tells people like me to not follow their dreams because of the practicality. I know that you can't lose sight of this insight because it helps with survival and all that good stuff, but I think part of psychological survival is giving your all to attempt what you love, even if there's almost certain impending failure. So I'll keep dreaming and hopefully find that esteem I need to avoid my dream turning into a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteNow that I've gotten super personal in your comments, I think you must know that I find your blog post to be pretty amazing, and I'd expect nothing less from you (;
Wow, Melanie, this isn't even one of my best posts (in my opinion) but I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it and got so much out of it!!
DeleteYou were indeed one of the friends I had in mind as I was writing this post (along with Collin, Xavier, Ben, Karl, and Molly mostly) and I admire your persistence in the face of all the impracticality and negativity people throw at you. I only wish I was that brave!
Things might not work out EXACTLY the way you think and want them to, but they WILL work out the way they're supposed to! In the entertainment business, you're certainly going to be hearing a lot of "no"s. You just can't take it personally (which is really hard, I know). Sometimes, it's just not the right fit. I also take criticism and things of that nature much more harshly than I should. But I know you'll be both successful and happy in the end (:
Thanks so much for reading! You're super great and I love you a lot!