What is the American Dream?

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Just the other day a few of us losers got together and were discussing rubbish as usual. Somewhere along the way the topic of the American Dream came up.

There was abundant dialogue as we each spoke about what we felt “the dream” refers to.  It was quite interesting to say the least.  I am not sure I know the right answer, neither did any of my friends, but we all had our theories.

One friend mentioned it is about being able to own your own home – Frankly sounded boring, typical and run of the mill answer.  Another mentioned it is all about the freedom of religion, free speech and the whole nine yards, which I think he just stole from the constitution.

Dan mentioned it was about more opportunities in employment, while John mentioned it was about the social promise that you will be taken care of by good hands (right).  The list goes on and on.

You will often hear America referred to many times as the land of opportunity.  To me, that is what the American Dream boils down to. Being an American means every single thing my friends said, and then some more.  It means having the opportunity to realize your dreams, to do what you want and live the life you want.

As someone who has traveled A LOT, (including 40+ States within the USA), trust me when I say that no-where else will you find the infrastructure, the opportunity, the equality and the legal structure that you have in America to realize your dreams and live the life you want.

I didn’t write this because Obama paid me to advertise America on my blog, but he may soon have to.  I don’t need to do that.  The country speaks for itself.  I realize that America is nowhere near perfect. It has its own issues like any other country, and BIG ones might I add.

I am not oblivious to that fact. But I also know that every place has its ups and downs, pros and cons, and to me I’d rather be on this side of the fence than the other at any given time.

I just thought I’d share my two cents on what the American Dream really means to me.  As you can see, it means different things to different people.  Maybe that is after all what the American Dream is.

Patriotism, Nationalism and ALL Bias aside (if you can manage to do that for the next 2 minutes), what is your objective take on this ramble?

11 Responses to “What is the American Dream?”

1. Sandip @ Web Marketing says:

   July 25, 2011 at 4:09 am

   The American dream, and the environment that I think most developed countries support (I’m from the UK), is empowering people to take control of their own destiny. For me, it’s about not being oppressed by the powers that be and truly getting out what you put in. That’s my take on the American, UK, [add your country here], dream

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     July 25, 2011 at 5:04 pm

     well said buddy

     Reply
2. Paula @ AffordAnything.org says:

   July 25, 2011 at 7:08 am

   “no-where else will you find the infrastructure, the opportunity, the equality and the legal structure that you have in America to realize your dreams and live the life you want.” — heck yes!!

   I can’t put my patriotism aside, because I’m probably the most pro-America patriot you’ll ever meet. And I wasn’t born in America. I’m a first-generation immigrant. I wasn’t born into a U.S. citizenship; I had to swear an oath of allegiance to receive it. And I’ve traveled to 27 countries, averaging one month per country.

   And this all might explain exactly why I’m so patriotic: I’ve seen what life abroad is like, and what opportunities exist for me because I live in America.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     July 25, 2011 at 5:06 pm

     Paula welcome first of all. Second, our stories are mirror images – having that broad outside perspective just reinforces what you already feel and believe further. Thanks for sharing your background.

     Reply
   • Nigel Chua says:

     July 27, 2011 at 1:21 am

     Hey Sunil

     I definitely understand where you’re coming from – I stay in Singapore, and have been here for the past 10 years; I come from Malaysia, and I feel the same way about Singapore.

     The way you described America as the Land of Opportunity; perhaps it reflected your innate wish and desire (or your parents’) where you’re from. As for myself, when describing Singapore, I tell Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans why I love Singapore (I’m switching citizenship to Singaporean when I’m freed up a couple of weeks time) – it’s because they have what Malaysia don’t.

     Reply
     • Sunil says:

       July 27, 2011 at 1:48 pm

       Singapore is one of my favorite countries, from all perspectives including public and corporate policy. I love the fact that there is just the right amount of regulation / oversight in areas that need it, and the ability to let the free market dictate the rest.

       Reply
       • Nigel Chua says:

         July 31, 2011 at 4:02 am

         Yeah man, it’s the perfect blend for me when it comes to government policy and its pro-entrepreneurship policies. Love the way things are handled here, lots of potential for growth, albeit more in the manpower arena given the lack of space, but they make up for it more by innovating in technological and biotech industries, as well as the medical field.

         Will you be coming to Singapore anytime soon? Perhaps we can arrange for lunch/dinner if it’s within your preference. =)

         Reply
         • Sunil says:

           July 31, 2011 at 4:22 am

           You are right about Singapore. Add to that the ever growing banking / FS sector. I will definitely take you up on that offer my next time around.

           Reply
         • Nigel Chua says:

           August 1, 2011 at 4:16 am

           Looking forward to that man!

           Singapore as a whole is very balanced in its economy, and with its growing banking and financial sector, it is poised for even more growth, likely to be in double digits. =)

           Reply
3. Tay says:

   July 26, 2011 at 12:59 pm

   The American Dream for me is about making ANYTHING your heart desires become a reality. Simple maybe even corny. I feel true non the less.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     July 26, 2011 at 1:42 pm

     Welcome to the blog Tay – not corny at all. It is THE essence!!!

     Reply