Determination In Society Today

America has times where hurdles or laybacks take a hit on civilians. The American Dream has moments where “Even in times as troubled and uncertain…” , citizens still hold a mental toughness and grasp on that “...faith is great for our civilization, for America, and perhaps for the world” (10). This points out that deep down inside every American, there is a drive that pushes for the greater future

Through hard work and dedication the American Dream may still be attainable. The dream of all Americans is a crucial thread in the country’s tapestry woven through politics, music and culture. This thread is what gives all humanity the drive to excel in anyway possible. Money ,jobs, education, careers, and relations will help Americans work towards the dream they have built for

“The hope of a mill worker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a kid who believes that America is a place for him.” “The dropouts and hippies are not afraid of failure as their parents and grandparents.” There will always be difficulty, uncertainty, and audacity in the face of opportunities.

As poverty grows throughout the United States, it continues to make it more difficult for our future leaders to become successful if they do not have the equal opportunity to pursue their personal American Dream. David H. Freedman discusses his thoughts on the American Dream and how poverty can get in the way of such success by asserting, “In the view of proponents, that money could also benefit people who aren’t poor but aren’t affluent either. They’d gain access to higher education, an escape route from oppressive jobs and relationships, greater opportunity to invest in their children’s well-being and education, and time to spend on artistic or other mostly nonpaying endeavors” (David H. Freedman). Devastated by the dreams of others freedom and success can still be achieved through the American Dream, even if poverty has affected someone as long as the self-determination to make decisions that will benefit in the future outcome of what they feel is the American Dream. Against the odds of barriers that lie in the way of success; such as, poverty, education, even sometimes religion and ethnicity, the American Dream is still achievable according to Steve Tobak, a well known writer, as he described “The American dream is not a guarantee, there has to be hard work to achieve a goal. There are many factors that play into having the feeling of the American Dream” (Steve

“The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it's possible to achieve the American dream,” Tommy Hilfiger said. (Brainyquote) Throughout American history, certain individuals had to endured obstacles that led them to become the person they are known for today. Some of these people rise from poverty to become important individual in society while others had to free themselves from society. Each of these people had their own problem, which they need to overcome. Some of these problems were lack of money for education, not having freedom to do certain things, and not having the opportunity to have an education. Although these problems persist in these individuals’ lives, these problem didn’t get in the way of them from becoming the person they want to be.

Perseverance is vital to reaching the American Dream. Giving up has never gotten anyone anywhere, has gotten nothing accomplished. Those who truly seek their American dream, work relentlessly to achieve it. Despair will commonly appear to wear one down and should be overcome to fulfill ones dream. Life will throw obstacles, set hurdles, and give challenges that one must overcome in order to achieve the American Dream or any dream in general. For instance, in “Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty” by John McCain, there is a man who exemplifies true perseverance in becoming a patriot, his American Dream. During the vietnam war, Mike Christian was held as a prisoner of war along with McCain. “ the Vietnamese searched our cell and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag…[they] beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours... Sitting there, beneath that dim light bulb, with a piece of white cloth, a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian.” In the end Mike Christian showed resilience and fought on to act like a true patriot, his American dream. If mike did not have perseverance and resilience, he would have never felt his dream become a reality. Christian’s perseverance allowed him to ignore the beating and keep on. This might be an extreme example of perseverance, but it goes to show how much it could accomplish.

“Hard work, frugality, and self-sacrifice,” these are three of the tenets that define a dream so integral to our country that without it, one could argue that this nation would crumble. This is the dream defined by the idiom “rags to riches” and the dream defined by the opportunity to “achieve financial success and social mobility.” It is the very same dream the founding fathers’ dreamt when they stood up to oppression and the same dream they dreamt when their pens first laid the ink of freedom on the Declaration of Independence (source C). It is the same dream dreamt by each American on their way to work and the same dream dreamt by each American when their children greets them when they step through their front door tired from their long,

With that, came the American dream. The dream that each person should achieve prosperity through strenuous work and dedication. There has been several works of literature that denounced the American dream as a false prophecy, as only coming true for a undoubted narrow majority of the nation. That is true that the American dream does not come by often. Although when it does, people cherish this nation and call it “ The land of the free and the home of the brave”. American history showed that in this nation, nothing is impossible, resembling what Einstein said “ Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is

Wallechinsky goes on to say, "They will succeed or fail based on their own efforts."(65). This quote also explains the American Dream, and why it is still accessible. If you work hard while you are young and live

However, we must remember an important fact: our generation of American faces the same wall of hopelessness that stood before those who lived through the Great Depression – and they overcame it. What we can take from them, is that we can succeed if we accept the simple fact that we must do what must be done, even if it isn’t desirable. If we graduate with a degree in fashion marketing and fail to secure employment, we work at a retail store in order to pay rent and get the bills paid. Running around for hours to work in a store takes grit; being underemployed takes gut; learning from experience and applying it to one’s life creates character. And one day, we grow. That in my belief is “the Dream.” For too many versions of “the Dream” equate prosperity to happiness, happiness I feel is not so simple. This makes it seem that the American Dream may always remain tantalizingly out of reach for some Americans, making the dream more like a cruel joke rather than a genuine dream. Perhaps, what our generation needs is to

Throughout the history of America, the ability to overcome adversity has served as a defining characteristic of the people’s identity. The notion of being able to face and overcome challenges, despite the sacrifices or risks, persists to this day in the United States. From situations such as the war of Iraq to parents working several jobs a day to put food on the table, one conclusion seems inescapable: America’s current generation has, indeed, continued to defy the odds against them just as their ancestors in World War II had.

Americans once stood tall and independent. They revered their roots and were proud, rugged individualists with a strong sense of American exceptionalism. They took pride in their work, their communities, and country. Supporting their families was paramount as they confronted the perils of life with grit and determination. These proud people produced generations of patriotic, loyal, hardworking, and self-reliant

The concept that individuals are supposed to work hard and make it big may not be as easy as it sounds anymore. This philosophy was most likely derived from the origin of “rugged individualism” by former President Herbert Hoover, who believed that nearly all individuals are able to succeed on their own. However, the laissez-faire economy from the past is much different than the nation’s economy today, and so that concept has changed over time. The United States had been known for being “The Land of Opportunity”. The American Dream is the nation’s ethical appeal, “The National Ethos”. It draws in and persuades people that there are opportunities to be found in America. However, why is it then that a pessimistic attitude is arising in those

So, now that we've begun to understand that we don't have to be the center of attention in order to lead meaningful and successful lives, perhaps we can begin to simply exist and along the way create some pretty significant impacts? Because, "Success," as Gustav Flaubert put it, "is a result, not a goal." So, let our motivation be to simply live while keeping in mind that in order to obtain success we don't have to make fools out of

Hard work. The United States was not built easily. It was constructed on the grit of those who rebelled against British rule, the blood shed during the Revolutionary War, and the hours that the Framers spent debating how to set up our Constitution. From heroes such as Harriet Tubman, who wouldn’t let even the idea of losing her life stop her, to the suffragettes who refused to back down, people of generations past have done whatever it takes for the sake of bettering the country. In contrast, in the society of today, the idea of hard work seems to be a foreign concept to many people. Moreover, it appears that more often than not, people are choosing to take the easy way out rather than push through the difficulties toward progress. We need to look back on the past and see all the hard work that went into creating and maintaining this country in order to guarantee a better future.