Is the obsession for the elusive "American dream" a positive attribute or a manifestation of greed?

Question

We trudge our feet day in and day out for income and quality of life, is this inevitable or is it best not to obsess over our hierarchical greed driven society?

Answer 1

Darn, you better believe that this ambition to achieve prosperity is a positive attribute. Belief in anything else is counterproductive.

Many people who are born poor will fight you for the chance to "make it" in a tough world.

Putting food on the table and a roof over ones head is not a manifestation of greed, instead it is a natural desire to provide for ones self, and family.

The corporations who rule the purse strings that pay out YOUR SALARY, well, maybe you can accuse them of wanting to pay as little as they can (greedy employers) to keep more money for themselves and their cadre of "investors".

May your God bless your efforts, shelter your family and allow you all to live out your American dream.

Answer 2

A manifestation of greed.

And it's best not to obsess over greed.

Peace/Joy

Answer 3

I think it is greed!

Once you have the basic necessities of life - shelter, food, warmth, friendship, health and the ability to participate in society, anything additonal is a bonus.

The american dream is an expectation for a lot more than this, and it is greedy!  

Answer 4

The so called American dream is the immigrant's dream of a somewhat better life now, and a much better life for their children. This has nothing to do with greed, it's just a matter of personal goals.

For natives, the dream involves prosperity. Most people would like to be comfortably rich, but only a few want great wealth. I don't call this greed either. When I was a kid we were dirt poor. We lived on the free peanut butter and instant milk handed out by LBJ's surplus food program.  I've been poor most of my adult life as well. If I had an income greater than $1,000,000 per year, I would give the excess to charity.  

Answer 5

Neither really. I think it's the manifestation an entirely unattainable quest for happiness in which people create goals that they think will lead to their own personal happiness and self-realization. They connect these goals with illusions of perfect happiness and inner peace. I just watched this Leonardo DiCaprio interview in which he discusses this exact issue, actually, and I thought his take on the American Dream was extremely insightful.

Answer 6

After the second world war the American dream was to buy a home, raise a family with all the freedom and advantages one could provide though hard work and initiative.

I see greed as a result of not realizing the Brotherhood of man.

One way of moderating this curse is to change the motive for doing what we do from profit to service. Good luck though we cant even get away from using oil, even though we have had Hydrogen for more then 100 years. But there is no profit in water is there.

Are you aware of the kit that can be built in your home that will provide hydrogen to use in your car, home, or any where else you would choose? http://www.waterfuelcelltech.com/