To be completely honest, I had to look up the definition for quintessential to make sure I knew exactly what it meant. I had an idea, but I wanted to make sure so that I didn't screw up my first blog! So, I have found a few different definitions for it, but I think it basically means the perfect example. So, what is the perfect 21st Century American? That is a really good question. In many people's minds, having a lot of money, driving nice cars, and living in a mansion is the ideal American image. I think people think this is the quintessential 21st Century American because having money makes most people happy. Also, having money means that someone has power. People like power and like being able to buy whatever they want.
Now, I think of the quintessential 21st Century American as being someone that has great friends who will support him or her no matter what, has a stable job, is doing well financially, and most importantly is happy. I think the biggest thing for me is seeing people happy. If people are happy, then their life is good. Many people don't need money, a nice house, etc. to be happy. While I know America is not entirely like this nowadays, I personally think truly being happy is what matters in life.
I hope this answered the question. I think I got a little off topic at the end, but oh well!
Eric
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I agree with you on your definition of the quintessential 21st century American. About how everybody likes money and if we had more money we would have more power. The more money you have the happier you’ll be. Also you said that everybody wants to live in a mansion and drive nice cars and have cool stuff. That would be pretty sweet if that happened where you didn’t have to do much and you’re still rich. Also, not very many people live that lifestyle and they have to deal with it. They have to do whatever it takes to take care of their families. Also, you said being happy is the most important thing in life, that is defiantly true
ReplyDeleteMoney definitely can be a great source of power in this world, and I agree that people *think* having more money (and thus more power) will make them happy. I do think that the average American finds him or herself in the position of wishing they had both more money and more power. "The Good Life" by Three Days Grace, I think, captures what most Americans would like and what Ryan alludes to in his comment:
ReplyDeleteThe good life is what I need
Too many people stepping over me
The only thing that's been on my mind
Is the one thing I need before I die
All I want is a little of the good life
Americans seem to think that if we just had more money, more stuff, more this, more that, that we'd be happy, that our lives would be easier. We are always wanting more, more, more. But we forget how many people in this world we already have it better than. The most poverty stricken individual in the US is wealthy compared to many, many individuals in third world countries. I hope one day we, as a nation, can look beyond our egocentrism to see how rich we are (not just monetarily).
Money is happyness for most people but in general it is the root to all evil as people say. Money can bring power to those who let it but is it the most purest thing? Only if you let it control life. yes the world runs off money but I believe in general most americans can be content with little to no money if they had to. Some of the happyest times in my life were when I was broke and didnt have alot. It forces people to readjust values in there lives and ultimatley if people didnt have t.v.'s or game systems wouldnt they spend more time togethor?
ReplyDeleteYour points about money are sadly enough true. The American Dream includes having money in some form for probalby 95%. That is really sad. I think the comments about how we strive to buy things are part of what takes up our time and takes us away from spending time with what is important, our friends and family.
ReplyDeleteYou had a lot of good points about having good friends and being happy. In the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, Chistopher Gardner makes the comment about the quote from the constitution. It is worded "...The pursuit of happiness" He says something like it is as if he knew that we would always be pursuing happiness because it is so elusive.