Thomas Jefferson's Conception Of The American Dream

Welcome to America, where if one works hard enough and play by the rules, they can seize the opportunity of a better life for their family...right? The American Dream for lower class Americans is exactly that—a dream. Americans have been raised under the belief that hard work and effort secure their future of financial success and being an established individual. This however, is just a myth. Thomas Jefferson initially devised the American Dream that would define each individual’s God given right to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. This innovative desire to pursue one’s ideologies of happiness was not self-gratification, but a fundamental drive for a prosperous civilization. It was the pursuit of happiness that became the push

America prides itself with the it’s individualism, freedom of speech (debatable), and the ability to transform from rags to riches with a good work ethic and drive. But now all that can be seen is the riches gravitating towards the latest fads and trends. What once was prosperity for all, has become wealthy takes all. For a considerable amount of years, Americans flourished under the conception of the American Dream. Forty years ago, a solid and secure middle-class was a reality in America. However, the middle class has started seriously shrinking in the recent years. As the middle-class in America continues to decrease, the chance of American children rising out of the economic class they are born into does too (Hartmann, 2014). What is causing this decrease in the middle-class? The wealthy becoming even more wealthy.

The acquisition of materialized goods has become the new source of happiness to many (Amadeo, 2017). Happiness driven by greed is simply not attainable as one individual out there will most certainly have a better house, a better wardrobe, and quite frankly, a better brand of gold toilet paper to wipe their ass with. Many Americans are insecure and have low self-esteems which in turn cause them to obsess over materialistic goods in attempt to lessen the pressures placed upon them by society. The fact is, American lives are filled with many possessions they simply do not need. (Add More)
In Tim Kasser’s The High Price of Materialism, extrinsic values such as the greed for materialistic goods that motivate many individuals are studied among a variety of age groups. Kasser’s findings show the ‘dark side of the American Dream’ by showing the negative effects theses values hold on individuals such as high levels of depression and anxiety. In fact, Kasser found that in capitalists nations, such as America, these values are actually encouraged as they convey a sense of success and power (Kasser, 2002). This most definitely, is not the American Dream the founding fathers of America had in