What is the American Dream and the American Way?

14 comments

1. Undefined, everchanging, depends on who you ask, generally supposed to be positive and unite people

2. Both have a multitude of definitions.

3. Whatever you want them to be, really.

4. My definition of the American Dream is the idea that through hard work and perseverance anyone can make a comfortable living for themselves here. The idea that anyone born in poverty or an immigrant or refugee could join the American workforce and then one day afford housing, food and have access to a good education for their children if they so choose to to have them.

5. Whatever you want.

6. The American Dream is a concept embodying the ideals and aspirations of individuals in the United States, and that the U.S. is the land of opportunity. It centers around the belief that hard work, determination, a bit of luck and equal opportunities can lead to success, social mobility, and financial prosperity.

   It encompasses notions of economic well-being, homeownership, stable employment, education access, and personal freedom.

   The American way celebrates a spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation, and a can-do attitude. Individuals have the ability to overcome challenges, pursue their dreams, and achieve success through hard work, resilience, and self-reliance.

   The American Way seems to be more remarkable outside of the US. I meet business leaders who frequently comment on the can-do attitude of Americans, in contrast to their countries.

7. The American dream can be anything. As far as the American way goes I will tell you what my grandmother told me about it. She said when she moved to the USA from Germany after the war her English wasn’t great, and people didn’t understand why a woman in her day had a strange tattoo on her arm, but she said people were so kind to her, and helped her out more than she could ever repay, and when she would try and make it up to them some would just tell her no need it’s the American way. I don’t know if that’s what it actually means, but that’s what it means to me.

8. Whatever the individual wants it to be. And yes. That’s the answer.

9. “The American Way” is a phrase that was popularized in a mainstream cartoon in the 1930s-1950s as duties for Superman to enforce in the world. The entire quote is that Superman fights for “truth, justice, & the American way.” Those children who watched this took the idea as important advice for how to live your life. The “way” is easiest to summarize as [the civil religion](http://youtube.com/watch?v=x49n90lWi0s), which is a *non-religious* belief that the founding fathers were unique in their understanding of how to organize a society & gave us [the Bill of Rights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights) & [the rule of law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_law) as a way to be better human beings here on Earth.

   “The American Dream” is a concept describing the capability to use your pay from a job to comfortably raise your own children with your spouse. A job that pays a living wage & ownership of a house (typically a house in a suburb) are both traditionally a part of this idea.

10. For most it’s Financial Independence and leave me alone

11. doing 2 chicks at the same time.

    TO my female friends out there, please feel free to offer up the female equivalent.

12. Just catchphrases, they mean whatever people want them to mean.

13. American dream is a house in the suburbs with your wife/husband 2.5 kids and a white picket fence and the American way is life liberty and the pursuit of happiness

14. being able to buy a house in the suburbs