Everyone has their own opinion about The American Dream. And those opinions are as individual and unique as America itself.
In general, the American Dream is our collective belief that anyone can be successful in the United States if you’re willing to work hard.
A recent survey presents some fascinating insights. It asked respondents to rank 61 different components of the American Dream. Everything from being rich and successful to getting married and having children.
See, when we think about our own definition of the American Dream, 56% of us think it’s based on our ability to achieve success on “the things that matter most to us”. Doing work that has a positive impact on other people is our number one measure of success in life. That finding is constant across all gender, age, income, and political affiliations. It can include any kind of work, if you can see how it positively impacts others.
By a wide margin, Americans overwhelmingly value character as a key measure of success. They recognize that the kind of person they are matters.
Most people do not think being rich is the key to anything, although I’d like to give it a try. We place more value on financial independence, security and peace of mind.
For the first time, Americans don’t see traditional higher education as a marker of success. We rank a four-year college degree as the 54th most important attribute (out of 61).
Meanwhile, having a professional certification in a skilled trade (electrician, plumber, mechanic) ranks #15. Yes, we now view the skilled trades as a bigger marker of success than being a Doctor or Lawyer.
Marriage (or significant other) is still viewed as important (#19), but we don’t view the institution of marriage as an integral part of a successful life.
In contrast, Americans weigh having children as the 4th most important attribute of a successful life. So, having a child as a single parent is now viewed as a more important measure of success than marriage.
When we think about other people, 63% of us incorrectly assume that their vision of the American Dream only involves “financial prosperity through hard work”. Meaning that their vision is purely based on making lots of money. But, that’s not correct. The simple truth is that only 37% of other people define success that way.
When we think about other people, 63% of us incorrectly assume that their vision of the American Dream only involves “financial prosperity through hard work”. Meaning that their vision is purely based on making lots of money. But that’s not correct. The simple truth is that only 37% of other people define success that way.
That misunderstanding is so widespread that there isn’t a single demographic group in the country that has an accurate view of how most other Americans define a successful life and the American Dream.
See, most people just want to live a good life. They don’t care that much about getting rich or being famous. They’re much more interested in doing good work, saving for retirement, being a parent, and being debt-free someday.
What if this isn’t the only thing we get wrong about our fellow Americans? What if, in fact, we don’t know each other at all? What if our values are more closely aligned than we thought? What if we all want the same things?
The things that matter are doing work that has a positive impact on other people, enjoying the work that we do, being enjoyable to be around, having a purpose in life, and being actively involved in our community.
This means that the American Dream is available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation, education, political affiliation, or where they live. That’s the American Dream today.
Tom Greene is a writer living in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife and loyal wiener dog, Maggie. His writing can be found at www.tomgreene.com. He can be reached at [email protected]
