Money and Success: The Myth of Individual Opportunity
The American dream
There have been numerous arguments and representations which signify that the United States is a land where there is an opportunity. The United States is described as a state where any individual who feels like making it out of life will always come to this land and tries their luck which is almost positive as per their perception. The mythical idea of individual opportunity basically affects the younger generation especially the college and teenagers who think that they must do whatever it takes to get into America or while in America, do everything possible to make a living out of the place. Young individuals are perceptively ordained to the idea that if the career of a person is very prestigious, then there are no chances absolutely for failure. In many cases, this idea can be true but the fact remains that success is not measured in terms of how great someone’s career is but by how much effort and contribution one makes to make it a success.
The current culture has been impacted very negatively by the idea of materials being the world measure. Looking at the history of other successful people in the society, success has been measured by various means which is an individual strive for success. Money, making history, and being a very hard worker is all that can comprise what success is to people. For example, looking at a case like that of African American hero who strived in every way to make it for his community, this can be an indication of success (Colombo et al., pg 295). From an article about serving in Florida, the servers were technically working as if there is no tomorrow. Many pulled out shifts no normal human being can ever be tempted to undertake. Causing a lot of harm to the body for the benefit of the future is not ethical. One should be interested in making today a starting point for tomorrow but for the workers, tomorrow is a word or a phrase they do not even remember. That is a part of the American dream for the workers who work tirelessly to make every minute count not knowing the dangers they are doing on themselves.
Individual opportunity
Similarly, this myth of opportunity is very different to every person. In many occasions, it is referred to the American dream where different personalities have different ideologies on the idea of money and success. This perception many people it is associated with having a successful life, freedom and eventually being happy. Coming from generation to generation to generation, the American dream has been changing and the current generation has the most signified type of explanation for the dream. This ideology has left many to not think of the dream as being successful, free and happy to be in possession of almost everything that can bring in more and more money. Possessions are what has been the indication of having a successful life. If a person has lots of money, then the ideas of being a hero or a figure in the society are very evident and close by. Education in the current times is viewed as a way of helping those who cannot access the good things in life. Education has been replaced by a person being rich and can afford everything precious in this life. In the current world, the young people have been led away from the main subject of getting an education. During the old days, people strived to make it to a school and even acquire some little education. This is not the case today where the world has been transformed to an online and mind challenging place where if you can make a small idea bought by people, then you are definitely on the right path for success. From the article the changing fortunes of the American generation, this is very evident. There has been a change from what one can call education to what is known as today as a process in life (Colombo et al., pg 305). Many have taken up the challenge of being educationally oriented to being the skillful and money oriented youths.
The society today is all about the dream but not very many people think of it as a reasonable price to pay for success. The American dream is all about being happy and having a comfortable job with expensive items after a struggle but actually, this idea keeps fading away day in day out. Being rich has no standardizations and this is the same idea too many people in possession of big things in life. After achieving their dreams, not all can account for being happy for what they have. If money is termed as the American dream, then one needs a lot of it since the dream does not come easily and neither does it have a price.
Education versus riches
Money cannot be used to measure individual opportunity. One will need a lot of money to be presumed as a successful person in life. When it comes to the rich people, they are also not satisfied with whatever they have and since they are numerously observed fighting for more and more money. It does not matter how much money a person has or even own since there are better and even bigger things to consider as a success. Looking at an article from the book about aged Dick, it is an eye-opening article which also describes the American dream of being what one considers to be of great value to them. Reflecting on this article, the character moves through struggles and challenges from being so poor to being a very rich character (Colombo et al., pg 280). His background is basically one of the worst for a human character but this does not stop him from making it big in life. After gaining what he says is being successful, he immediately relocates to another town considered to be a nicer part of the city. In the real sense, this move is one of the best even though many do not agree but it shows progress from bad state to a better state. It might not satisfy the want but at least it is a change for the better since there are other nicer places than the city he considers nice.
Having a higher paying job position with lots of benefits and improved stock options are considered to be a dream for many. Advancement in technology has had physical impacts in the current society and more people are joining the industry in search of better opportunities in the field. The standards are practically going to be on the rise after every now and then since there will always be the act of having new technology in the market. In the society, competition is taking over and if the top party takes a break from the invention, then it does not stop since many are willing and waiting to take up more challenges than where one decided to reach (Colombo et al., pg 306). Working extra harder is always key for success but there are more things to be learned in the process. Rereading and being on the update is very crucial to ensure that there is less surprise in the world we are leaving in today. This need to keep up with competition and updates is what is causing many people who have the riches be less interested in enjoying what one owns.
Coping with the trends
The current Americans are not interested in success through education but more interested in celebrities and what they have to offer thereby copying everything they have from clothes to the kind of lifestyle they live. On one hand, the Americans are very interested in the lives of the celebrities but at other times Joneses is interesting (Colombo et al., pg 310). The generation today is so interested in other people’s success and wants to have the same for whatever it takes. For example, if one person sees his friend with a new machine, chances are that he is going to try every way to make it comparable with the friend. That is the life of a typical American.
Typically, the American kind of dream is still very alive in many people though it is still not what it was once years back and that is something I have personally had an experience with. Keeping up with the celebrities and Joneses is practically the fulfillment of their definition of what the American dream is in their own terms. Many try and keep it simple but the real idea is always about taking up the challenge and being better than the other. The current society is always being about possessing the best or equal to the best otherwise one will be associated with being in the lower class in the society (Colombo et al., pg 400). Being pointed at and being shown up is not the desire of any noble American in the current times. Everyone wants to be at the top and making it big in front of every concerned party mostly the media platforms. Americans are never satisfied with what they have and are optimistic of better days while other parts of the world where poverty is a norm whatever one gets, this is appreciated wholeheartedly. This can be regarded as a time when the Americans really accept what they have in possession and are grateful since the country has a lot to offer and everybody to live their dream.
Work cited
Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Rereading America: Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing. Macmillan Higher Education, 2016.
