Blog #2 Where did the American Dream come from?

This week when we were told to read the introduction of "The Making and Persistence of the American Dream," I found myself rereading it a lot. The information was interesting and all, but jeez they threw out so many dates and names at us. There was a particular section that stuck out to me when I read it that I realized would be perfect to write about for this blog post.

On page 7 or so of the introduction chapter, I came across a paragraph that talked about a possibly explanation as to why the American Dream persists after so much time even though so much has happened in that time frame. What I found interesting was this quote that I'll share: 

"Instead of questioning the American Dream, Americans are more likely to blame themselves when things do not turn out as they hoped."

What I find so interesting is that the American Dream is something that is so well known that people trust it that much even tough it's not even concrete idea. The American Dream is a concept that certain people laid out for the country a very long time ago, and yet this book says people most often associate their misfortune and/or failures with something they did wrong. Why are people so quick to judge themselves and the way they live their lives rather than questioning the actual system that told them they were wrong? I also think it's interesting because it gets fuzzy since people have different interpretations of what the American Dream really means. In reality, it doesn't mean you move to American and you get everything you want handed to you. No. Really what people mean is that you work hard for a really long time and that gets you where you want to be. And sometimes that doesn't even happen and it may mean that you did everything you could right, but it wasn't meant to be for you. So I find it so fascinating that people will go so far as to say that they did something wrong simply because and idea that was made up by other humans didn't play out with their lives. 

There's no template for how to live, how to pursue your dreams, etc. No one needs to believe in the American Dream or believe that it happens for everyone who wants it. It's an interesting concept, but as I've said before its not concrete. It's not set in stone. It's fluid. 

For example, people associate the American Dream with getting a house, starting a family with a husband and having kids. But not every person believes that thats the best thing to do. And we shouldn't feel like we "failed"or didn't achieve something because we didn't take that path. Of course, that's only one example, but it still holds true.

The book says that American don't want to consider that "the American Dream [is] a lie," but it doesn't necessarily have to be a lie. I think it just has to be considered with a grain of salt. If you find yourself frantically questioning all of you ideas, dreams, thoughts, and more than maybe you shouldn't be trying to pursue the American Dream so closely. Like seriously just chill and do your thing.