One For All and All For One?

                                                      

I remember in one of our previous blogs, we had to define what we believed was the definition of the American Dream. I came to the conclusion that there are two Americans Dreams, one being materialistic and, I defined it as abstract because I couldn't think of better definition at 11pm. I brought up how most Americans are obsessed with achieving individual wealth and success and then there are some that believe the American Dream consists of being concerned with others, that they practice Noam Chomsky’s principle of “solidarity”. Clearly, I was not the first one to come to this conclusion. Walter Fisher claims that there are two different American Dreams: a materialistic and moralistic.

Fisher makes the claim that both of these types of dreams are considered myths but “without dreams or myths, a man or nation is without a past, present, or future.” I believe Fisher meant that dreams and myths shape the way people view society and the world as a whole. Each of these myths have power in shaping our society.

The materialistic myth consists of the idea of that individual worth ethic and self reliance provides you with success. Fisher says that “the myth is not believed by those who have tried to live by it and found in practice that it is flawed by favoritism and corruption.” I find this true in society today because many individuals do not live or possess the same experiences in life and depending on the life experiences an individual can succeed or fail. Life’s just not fair. For instance, favoritism in the workplace can come in the form of prejudice, discrimination or sexism and can set someone back from achieving their materialistic dream. In addition, a good example of corruption would be if for instance a son got a CEO position over someone who has worked hard to get that position just because their father created the company.

The moralistic myth “serves to inspire cooperative efforts to benefit those who are less fortunate than others”. Because the moralistic myth is meant to bring about unity and take in the opinions of society as a whole, this type of dream is more appealing to others. It is natural for most common people to put the needs of others at the same level as needs for themselves. It is human nature to care for one another. However, Fisher also adds that “in order to be moved by moralistic appeals, one must condemn himself in some way or another.” I found this claim to be evident in today’s society as well. Fisher uses the example of McGovern showing how immoral the Vietnam War is by making his followers realize their guilt for allowing it to continue. Today, for instance, many people are supporting the victims of the recent terrorists attack because they feel some kind of guilt for allowing it to happen.

Fisher allowed me to understand that both of these types of American Dreams are necessary to have; they balance out each other. In order to have a realistic goal, a balance of the qualities of both types of dreams such as self reliance and compassion for other.