American Reflections: Dreams

When I moved from my home state almost three years ago, I felt like I had everything figured out. In my own naivety, I believed that to see my dreams come true, all I needed was to slowly work at my ideas until they became the visions in my head. Still today I believe in this ideology to a certain extent, but I've learned that success and innocence are frequently at odds with one another.

The "American Dream" is not as simple as working hard and playing by the rules.

This past weekend a friend was talking about how in many countries around the world, it is normal and sometimes even expected for young people to leave their home countries (before entering the workforce) and travel for months on end. The idea behind this tradition is simple: when you leave your comfort zone and must adapt to new cultures and customs, it is more likely for you to gain a sense of compassion and understanding. This no doubt enriches you as a person and gives you an extra edge when returning to the workforce.

In contrast, young Americans by-and-large do not travel once they've completed their education. Instead they enter the workforce directly and may not travel overseas until their world-view is firmly planted, if ever. As a result of this, we've become a nation of dispassionate and widely apathetic individuals.

Remaining passionate and driven in the midst of mass conformity can at times be highly indemnifying and at others an immense burden. Can compassion only be gained through experience, or does my understanding of the principle give me something of a consolation? Perhaps it's time to travel abroad.