The Possibility of Success

This myth is not only present in our media, it is prevalent in all aspects of our culture. This idea that a normal, everyday, working class man can rise to a position of wealth and power is one that is deeply engrained in our nation's history. Americans believe in individual freedom and the power of believing in yourself. The myth of the possibility of success serves an important purpose in our society: it motivates. We have been taught (through real-life experience and through stories of fictional characters) that we have the power to change our life situation--to overcome whatever obstacles are in our way. With hard work and determination, we can attain a life of success and happiness. This is both an encouragement and a motivator. It gives us hope and encourages us to keep on trying because, no matter how hard the road may be, there is always the possibility that we will get that big break we've been waiting for.

This myth, however, is not always true. Hard work does not always lead to monetary gain. There are people who work and work and struggle to provide for their family and still end up on the streets. There are musicians who play night after night in clubs and never get discovered. There are talented athletes who practice and practice and never make it past the minor leagues. And the way this myth, this peconcieved notion that hard work always leads to success, can hurt, is when we measure how hard someone is trying by the level of success they have achieved. I think we, as middle- and upper-class Americans, often disregard poverty because deep down we believe that the poor are poor because they don't work hard enough. We think that they should be able to pull themselves out of their situation--that they are in this situation because they somehow deserve it.

Another way that this myth can hurt is that it can mislead us in our idea of what brings true happiness. We can place too much value on the American Dream and, consequently, mistakenly think that money and status bring with them happiness. This possibility of success lurks in the back of our minds and we think, "If I just had _____, I'd be happy." The characters in these myths get the money, or the dream job, or the position of power (against all odds), and with these things comes happiness. But in real life, happiness does not automatically follow theses things, and unfortunately, many do not realize this until after they have wasted their lives stiving for "success."