I think that throughout the American cultural sphere, there is a notion pushed viz. "you can be anything you want to be", "work hard enough at anything and you will attain it", and "the sky is the limit". Has anyone else noticed this?
I think such ideas may be harmful because we can only have so many doctors, lawyers, celebrities, superstars, etc., and so people may fall into despair once these external goals aren't met in cases (which, it's certain that not everyone will necessarily meet their grand goals.) When one hears of "success stories", they typically incorporate themes of
If I had to come up with a name for this ideology, I suppose I would call it "Modern Prosperity Gospel". What would you call it? Modern espousers of the theory seem to be people like Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, and Dave Ramsey (this last guy seems a little more down-to-earth, however.) For people who don't live in the United States, do you notice such an ideal in your own country?
What do you think contributes to such an ideal? Is this a marketing ploy to get people to spend money on college, motivation seminars, etc? A means of placating people from revolution by promising everyone grandiose dreams attained?
I thought I may be destined for some vague important contribution to the world, but perhaps I may have been falling for propaganda. For that matter, I don't think I'm a great person. I think the main sources for that idea's cultivation within the younger me would be the media, my family, and the school system.
Thoughts?
I think such ideas may be harmful because we can only have so many doctors, lawyers, celebrities, superstars, etc., and so people may fall into despair once these external goals aren't met in cases (which, it's certain that not everyone will necessarily meet their grand goals.) When one hears of "success stories", they typically incorporate themes of
- Material wealth
- Intimacy
- Fame
- (Sometimes) a vindictive element against those who held the former underprivileged person back from achieving the same success he wielded against his oppressor.
If I had to come up with a name for this ideology, I suppose I would call it "Modern Prosperity Gospel". What would you call it? Modern espousers of the theory seem to be people like Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, and Dave Ramsey (this last guy seems a little more down-to-earth, however.) For people who don't live in the United States, do you notice such an ideal in your own country?
What do you think contributes to such an ideal? Is this a marketing ploy to get people to spend money on college, motivation seminars, etc? A means of placating people from revolution by promising everyone grandiose dreams attained?
I thought I may be destined for some vague important contribution to the world, but perhaps I may have been falling for propaganda. For that matter, I don't think I'm a great person. I think the main sources for that idea's cultivation within the younger me would be the media, my family, and the school system.
Thoughts?
