The American Dream

Read this article first. Now, having read that article, lemme comment on it a bit, okay?

In short, the article says some good things. The article talks about a large community (a “church”) of believers in the United States who realize that they can do something more with their money than increase their own pleasure. They donate their time and money to others instead of themselves. They follow the principles of the Bible. Good. That's what Christians are supposed to do. However, what I find interesting is how the article explains and contextualizes their actions. They're doing this, apparently, in rebellion to the “American Dream.” The article uses a pretty decent and often used definition of the American Dream, authored by James Truslow Adams who said, “[the American Dream is when]. . . each man and each woman shall be able to attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are.” Honestly, this sounds pretty much what the American Dream is supposed to be all about. What I find disturbing about this article is the community of believers it references in questions apparently believes that this ideal is incompatible with the Bible and with Christian ideals, the author says, “Instead of congratulating us on our self-fulfillment, he confronts us with our inability to accomplish anything of value apart from God. Instead of wanting us to be recognized by others, he beckons us to die to ourselves and seek above all the glory of God.”

In all honesty, this guy has no idea what he is talking about. He doesn't get what the American Dream is about. The American Dream isn't about greedy jerks grabbing what they can and then being happy about their “success.” The American Dream is the hope that, if a person uses their skills properly, and works honestly, they will attain a relevantly successful position in society. The American Dream is part of American Culture, its rooted in the idea that all men are created equal and we all have the same rights and the ability to pursue our dreams and achieve a happy life. The author seems to equate our dreams and a happy life with materialism, but that's not true at all.

See, a lot of people can't pursue their dreams, or at least they feel they cannot pursue their dreams. Some people, its finances. Imagine a little boy in say, India, who lives in a slum, hardly speaks English, and lives in a family of 5, all of which survive on their fathers meager salary of something like 2 dollars a day. This kid wants to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a successful businessman. Honestly, I can say, that unless that kid is really lucky, stays in school, learns English, and is very, very bright, he will never make it to any of those careers. At best, he'll end up a little better off than his parents, most likely. Imagine the same Indian kid, but now imagine him as a member of the growing urban middle and upper-middle class. This kid has the financial ability to be a doctor, he has the academic ability to be a doctor, his father has the connections to get him into a very good school in India, and then plans on sending him overseas to Australia or the UK to finish his degree. But the kid by the time he's about 17 realizes he doesn't want to be a doctor, he wants to be a musician. He wants to play guitar in a Western-styled rock band. His parents have, up until now, allowed him to mess around on his guitar, and even paid for some lessons, because none of this interfered with his studies. But they will hear no word of any career except being a Medical Doctor. This kid isn't going to be able to pursue his dreams either.

Compare those two kids to someone I know. My friend, let's call him John, isn't necessarily the smartest guy in the world, but he works hard and he has motivation. He wants to please his parents and he wants to make use of the money they have spent on his education. When he graduates, however, instead of going into university he says he will do a six-month training program that his parents' organization does in Germany. The training program teaches John more about God and more about how to be a better Christian, as well as continuing to inform him of his many spiritual gifts. Robert really has a good time at this training program, and hey, lots of kids take gap years, right? Well then what happens is a bit out of the ordinary. John decides to remain at the school and staff the school, helping the leaders of the school teach the material to a fresh batch of students. Okay... so now this is a bit unheard of, and a few of his friends and family just kinda hope he'll go to school the year after that. John has no plans of going to university though. His parents' organization have training programs, and though the degree he will get will be unaccredited, it will be a “university” degree. That's what he is planning on getting. Now, some of his relatives are not really into this idea. They want him to do something different, but his parents understand. They have worked with this organization for a long time, and they want their song to follow the path that God has set out for him, not try to do what other people think is better for him. THIS, this is freedom. That's what the American Dream is about, its about pursuing what is best for you, no matter what other people think.

So, maybe I'm seeing a different translation of the American Dream. Maybe this author isn't seeing so much what the American Dream should be (the freedom to follow your dreams and still be successful) as the reality of American Culture (See: American Beauty; unhappy, rich materialistic Americans who fake everything because hey, money = happiness, right?). If that's so, he has a valid point. We need to focus less on ourselves and more on others, realize that we are not the center of the universe and instead of asking “how will this benefit ME” ask “how will this benefit MY COMMUNITY.”

The American Dream is about the freedom to pursue what interests you, the passions that God has given you, the abilities you have. The American Dream is not about being materialistic and getting rich. The knowledge that I can do whatever I want WHATEVER I WANT with my life is amazing. The six guys I know best from here in Bangladesh, of them, only 3 can do that. Those two? Yeah, they're parents are A) really strong believers B) foreigners. Conclusion? Bangladeshis aren't free to pursue their dreams. They have to pursue the plans of their families and communities or suffer the consequences. That's... really depressing.

So yeah, that's my thoughts on this little article and the American Dream. Freedom = Good. Materialism = bad. The movie American Beauty does a great job explaining why all materialism is so bad in the character of Carolyn. There are probably other books/movies (The Great Gatsby?) that do the same thing, but that's the one I've actually read/watched.