Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Myth Of Individual Success - 1430 Words

Across oceans and seas, in every village, city or town, an apple falls at 9.8 meters per second squared. This fact has remained unchanged since it was discovered, and the myth of individual opportunity and the myth of gender in the United States have also stayed true to its original meaning since the beginning of the myths, only with a few minor changes. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word myth as â€Å"an idea or story defined by many people but is not true. These myths, in particular the myth of individual success and the myth of gender can give us unrealistic beliefs about the society we live in and cause psychological harm due to society’s preset gender roles that are pounded in our heads and reinforced by our peers, our families and the media. Through educating people about the realities that underlie these myths and finding ways to break free of gender roles as well as encouraging others to do the same we can start a movement to end the chains that tightly s ecure us to behave based on expectations. The traits that are thought of to bring success have changed over time, but the general meaning of the myth of individual opportunity has remained the same. The myth of individual opportunity is the belief that everyone has the same chance to wealth and class. The route to success in the 1800s was based in virtues such as honesty, modesty, and bravery. Horatio Alger, a popular writer in the 1800s wrote stories about men going from rags to riches. His stories exemplifyShow MoreRelatedMoney And Success : The Myth Of Individual Opportunity By Gary Colombo Essay1661 Words   |  7 Pagesdreamt of. This means that there is plenty of competition between people chasing the same dream. 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They began to evaluate various companies’ roots and leadership, finding astonishing correlations that change the landscape and mindset ofRead MoreIntroduction to Rereading America901 Words   |  4 Pagespower of cultural myths, the editors tell that cultural myths hold people together and influence in the way we relate t o others. Greek mythology is maintained by the editors to compare it with American culture. Both Greek and American culture can benefit the society but they can also restrain the society in modern life. Although both give understanding in society about how they should react, their definition of success is different. According to the editors definition of success, America is distinguishedRead MoreRagged Dick, by Hoatio Alger1532 Words   |  7 Pagesfeel as though it’s a myth as oppose to others thinking it’s great guidelines or a great blueprint to success. In a selection of the money and success chapter in â€Å"Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing†, a professor at Yale Law School, Harlon L. Dalton critiques the story of Horatio Alger â€Å"Ragged Dick† calling it a myth. Dalton says that you can’t just overlook the fact that people still are based upon race and class. The Horatio Alger myth conveys three basic messagesRead MoreMyths: Education and Family1664 Words   |  7 PagesInterpreting and understanding myths depend on an individual’s personal views, beliefs, and ideas. With that in mind, the myth regarding the nuclear family and the myth of education and empowerment are all interpreted differently and argued, for and against, in many ways. Both have been perceived negatively by society, yet they have not always been a harmful folktale. Rather, the myth that education can improve someone’s life has been used, year after year, to motivate the youth in order to improve

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