No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And, still, today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important …show more content…
In a little known story about the history of Mark Cuban we get a great example of perseverance and dedication. In an article that was published telling the story of his life we learn that Mark, who was born in America also had a dream and that dream was to better his life and make money. His story didn’t start out all that well in terms of success. In the early stages of his career Cuban tried to make a name for himself in many different fields, but failed miserably in almost all of them. He failed as a carpenter, a cook, and as a waiter. But from all of his mistakes he learned a very valuable lesson, “I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how many times you failed. You only have to be right once” (Mark Cuban). And it 's with this idea in mind that Cuban finally made a name for himself in business, reality tv, and the NBA. I really enjoyed the story of Mark Cuban because his story is a great example of what it means to never give up, no matter how bad things look. And I feel that this is a great message when it come to the American dream, because it just proves that no matter who you are as long as you are determined and willing to give it your all anything is
“Even as a child, I enjoyed comeback stories where people overcame adversity and against all odds achieved what they sought. I was always rooting for the underdog. The greater the challenge, the more I liked the story. However, I could not fathom that one-day, I would be the fallen one trying to claw my way back.” Jorge Newberry began enterprising at the age of seven, dropped out of high school at sixteen becoming an enterprising entrepreneur as he rose to the top building a vast financial empire.
“No one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days year fails to make his family rich”(Gladwell 249). In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell shows that many factors come into play when looking at successful people. He shows that a series of luck, work ethic, and persistence can lead to success. When looking at people like Bill Gates and Bill Joy, Gladwell shows how these factors came into play in their early lives and allowed them to build their opportunity to become successful. Gates and Joy worked hard at what they were passionate about and ended up creating two major technological companies.
In the article, Birds and Bees, No Let’s Talk about Dollars and Cents, by Ben Stein, who was a former White House speechwriter, he informs his point successfully to his son that he needs self discipline to create human and financial capital to have a more stable life. The young boy has been living large his whole life and his father wants to help him keep it going by having self-discipline to make smart decisions so he doesn’t live in fear and insecurity. Ben Stein uses many anecdotes to get the point across to his son and the readers of the New York Times that people are capable of coming from nothing and turning into something with the willpower to make smart choices. With the use of anecdotes and repetition all throughout the letter, it
No one knows which event or chance will lead to success; either Bill Joy, Bill Gates, or the Beatles knew that certain events will lead them to success. However, their pure love and dedication automatically lead them to take the opportunities that they didn’t even know were opportunities which later on lead them to success. Gladwell emphasizes that one should always have genuine interest and love for what he or she wants to be successful
In the essay “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” Brandon king argues whether or not the American Dream is still alive and well in the USA. The author makes a strong case that the American Dream is, in fact, still held to a high degree of belief in America. Not only does he successfully argue that it is still alive, he presents information that shows how the Dream itself has shifted from a rags-to-riches story to one of a stable, happy life. Overall, King’s use of strong emotional appeals, coupled with his employment of sound reasoning and statistics make his argument that the American Dream has evolved over time very effective.
The “American dream” is the belief that hard work and determination can lead to success regardless of background or circumstances. With this belief comes assumptions of what one might want to achieve; an assumption of what everyone wants. Of course, it is impossible for everyone to want the exact same thing and unrealistic to believe that everyone can achieve the same thing the same way given the diverse range of circumstances, ranging from financial hardships to discrimination and prejudice. The American dream is not every American's dream nor is achieving it the same experience for everyone. With the “American dream” comes flaws and unexpected setbacks and obstacles that inevitably lead to disillusionment.
Success does not come without failures, the life of Abraham Lincoln is a great example of how success can result from multiple failures. Lincoln was defeated numerous times along his political career, however, he never gave up and eventually won the Presidential Election of 1860. Michael Jordan is another great example of someone who is living the American dream. He was unable to make the basketball team his sophomore year of high school as he was considered “too short” for his position. Jordan could have easily given up, yet his hard work and determination lead to him being arguably the greatest NBA player of all time.
The American dream is having equality, a voice to be heard and stability in one’s life. However, the American Dream is just that, a dream. It cannot be attained because of the power of our government, the ignorant minds of others and the constant want for more. What should be trivial factors in life, such as: race, gender, social class, wealth, etc., all have a significant effect on the impractical American dream. the “TED Talks” video proves this.
This is important because it explains why the hardest workers aren’t always the most successful. They were never given an opportunity to succeed. When analyzing Bill Joy’s road to success, Gladwell says, “But before he could become an expert, someone had to give him the opportunity to learn how to be an expert. ”(Gladwell 46) This quote reveals how Gladwell believes success can be achieved.
The American dream at one point was what drew people to American; the right to life, liberty, and the happiness. The American dream is the hope to acquire currency, large homes, raise a middle-class family, and pursue what brings people joy in life. But in the year 2016, the American dream becomes hard to believe in. The American dream may still exist, but it is not equally accessible to all Americans. This is true because the American dream is not affordable for everyone, it is not available to everyone from different degrees of education, and race and ethnicity creates large social barriers.
The American Dream is so essential to our country as it is an honor to reach your goals and make it a reality. The American Dream is the national ethos that people’s lives would be better and more abundant with many opportunities. The American Dream was more accessible to attain back in the days, however, changed over the years. Although the “American Dream” is still possible, many people, minorities are affected by the lack of improvement in social mobility in our society. The American Dream is still alive by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and by obtaining it through perseverance and hard-work.
Throughout the years the meaning of what the American Dream is has been changed and modified through their personal beliefs and goals in life. Rethinking the American Dream, an essay by David Kamp provides a perfect
The American Dream is an opportunity in which a determined person can have exceptional success through dedication and hard work, achieving equality, freedom, and personal goals. As immigrants, my grandparents followed this beacon of hope, and had this one thing in mind: a better life. Coming from
The Reality of an American Dream Do you believe that Americans still provide an access to the American Dream? From varieties of different perspective, successfulness has many different meanings that could include stable jobs and stable families. Those men who were married had the highest labor force participation of 74.6 percent. Also men who lives in North America has a highest employment rate of 52 percent. America still provides access to an American Dream to the “tired, poor, and the huddled masses.”
The famous international ideal of the “American Dream” is well desired worldwide. In turn, it acts almost as if it's a magnet attracting new immigrants to America each day. So what exactly is the “American Dream?” Hard to say. It can only be decided by the one in search of it.