Redefining The American Dream :: Philosophy Psychology Essays

Redefining The American Dream Consumption patterns portray the dynamic arrange of the American Dream. The American Dream today is significantly different that it was 50 years ago. Today Americans work longer work hours, spend 40% more time watching T.V and 40% less time with their children (AGO 2001). The voracity of mankind is insatiable, claimed Aristotle when describing how the appetite of mankind is n ever satisfied (Durning). As all(prenominal) desire is satisfied a new one rises up to wipe out its place (Durning). This is true for all people we want more money, a better job, a new car, better benefits, on and on until all at once it is clear that we have wasted our lives in search of something that actually never made us happy. A wise woman always told me never have any expectations and you will always be pleasantly surprise, the same holds true for consumption. Imagine a humankind where consumption was an colony similar to alcohol or drugs. Over consuming is a criminal offense punishable with jail time and Consumer Anonymous rehabilitation meetings. This was the world we attempt to portray during our brief Consumers Anonymous meeting. The opposite is currently happening, the economy expand 4% between the first quarter of 1998 and 1999 (Krugman 1999). Consumption grew 5.5% during that period (Krugman 1999) . When the economy toke a down turn after President Bush was pick out into office, the federal government urged Americans to do their part by spending. The average nest egg in the United States during 1970 was 8.5%, which has plummeted to an obscene low of 2.1% in 1997 by 1998 nest egg dropped even further to less than 0.5% (SLI). The lowest saving rate ever witnessed was in 1933 during the great depression at a 2.1% (SLI). By 1997 the sum total debt of U.S. households had reached 89% of the total household income (ecocompass 2000). The United States has less than 5% of the worlds populatio n however Americans consume 24% of the worlds energy, 27% of the worlds aluminum and 21% of the worlds beef (SLI). The big shocker is with all of this consumption the happiness levels are not raising (SLI).