Defining the American Dream


The American Dream is not something that can be simply defined. It differs from person to person according to who they are, where their from, their personal experiences, and the changes they want to see in both their lives and the world as a whole. One person may have a dream of reaching their full potential in all aspects of life, whereas another may have the dream of eliminating verbal and physical danger. The American Dream is what you make of it as an individual.

Throughout history, people have constantly been in search of an escape. Whether it be from tragic natural disaster, infectious disease, or overbearing rulers, humans feel endlessly trapped. Even to this day nothing has changed. For me, this trap is through personal judgement. Humans are always quick to jump the gun and assume things about others according to what they are wearing, how they talk, and how they act among so many other things. People do not hesitate to label others harshly based off of their attire or interests without taking into account that they are people too. Due to living in a society encompassed in judgement, most people tend to cover up who they really are in fear of being looked down upon. Rather than expressing our true colors, we have a tendency to cater to the likes of others. There are several instances where we stray away from things that our peers dislike, things that are “uncool” or “weird.” In this day and age, we typically follow trends instead of navigating ourselves through our individual paths. We find it easier to copy the styles set by others so that we do not have to put in the effort to find ourselves. My American Dream is to be able to live in a world without judgement. However, it would be impossible to eliminate it entirely, so my realistic American Dream is to live in a world without fear of judgement. To be able to live in a world where everyone is independent of one another. To be able to live in a world where “cool” is nonexistent and people are truly compatible and everyone’s spirits are free. To be able to live in a world where everyone's interests are genuine rather than forced in order to fit in. Everyday we are judged. Not only by strangers, but by peers and even close friends. For instance, if I ask a question with a well known answer, I am automatically associated with the “dumb blonde” label, so occasionally I will not ask questions even if I truly do want to know the answer. This puts a limit on my knowledge capacity because it makes it more difficult to learn something if you never ask about it. This is just one example of daily judgement. There are countless other instances in which people are judged every second of everyday. One day, I hope to live in a world where I can interact with people without being afraid of their thoughts, to be able to wear what I want without wondering if it looks weird, to be able to ask questions without feeling dumb. I hope to live in a world where everyone feels no pressure to be anything but themselves. I hope to live in a world where everyone lives for themselves rather than to impress their friends, families, or strangers. My interpretation of the American Dream is where everyone can live in unity and peace without being in a constant quest of escape from themselves.

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 29, 2017 at 12:07 PM

    That is a very inspiring Dream. I think that if many of us stayed true to out selves and not judged so hard many of the social issues, controversies, and horrific incidents would be solved and prevented. With something so simple of not judging others and finding yourself.It also leads on to the concept that before tryomg to help others one must restore themselves and find who they are.

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  2. alexadavisAugust 29, 2017 at 1:19 PM

    I agree with your American Dream and the examples you brought up as evidence. It's completely true that individuals are constantly judged by those around them, and the world would be a better place if no one feared what would happen if they were to publicly do something they truly wanted. I think staying true to yourself goes hand in hand with not caring what others may think and living in a world unconcerned with the judgement of others.

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  3. UnknownAugust 29, 2017 at 7:33 PM

    I relate to this Dream too! It's hard to completely stop caring about what other people think about you. People will judge other people for doing anything, whether it be going to dinner alone or asking a question, like you said. It's definitely much easier to change how you see their opinions than to change their opinions in the first place, and the first step to living for yourself is to realize that! In my opinion, being yourself no matter who is watching is the best way to be inherently happy in life. Everyone would be happier if they did what they wanted or needed to do without even a thought to what others would think.

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