Introduction

The Unattainable Dream?

Although we have not said it directly, the 2008 recession serves as evidence that families
throughout the U.S have been hurt. Before the recession, many people did not think twice about
impulsive spending. They were more prone to purchase whatever they saw and liked; it was more of a feel-good moment for them. When the economy took a downward spiral and workers began getting laid off from their regular jobs, mainly due to the slowed economy, it triggered a frenzy among citizens throughout the country, especially those who had mortgage payments and other responsibilities. This experience made us become more aware of the fact that what we thought we had was merely an illusion of reality. These experiences exposed us in some way to reality and fear all at once.

Without having a strong and secure financial plan or savings, many American citizens and
businesses alike went under. Families’ life savings and all materialistic possessions dwindled away in
front of their very eyes. These experiences didn’t only destroy their lives, they destroyed families, too. It has become much clearer to us, how fragile our lives are. Our complicity led us to believe that our life was solid and unwavering, only now we find out that it is like thin ice beneath our feet, waiting to devour our materialistic way of life.

Everyone realizes the common idea of being afraid to fail. Everything rides on your continued
success; the American Dream requires that you do not fail at any point, but continue along a
predetermined path, never challenging your lot in life. Despite that knowledge, some people understand that it is almost necessary to fail before you can truly begin to succeed. Just as some people fear failure, others are more afraid of success: that success has the potential to require people to work harder than they have before in order to maintain a new image that comes with new responsibilities. The stress of all of this fear and worrying tends to manifest itself in odd ways.

After all, what happens in the office doesn’t necessarily stay in the office, especially for those
who have dependents under legal drinking age. Emotional instability is one phenomenon that will always slip past any boundaries separating the workplace and the outside world, regardless of any efforts to contain it. Subtleties of emotions spill out with every interaction people make, and any signs could be interpreted in any number of ways, which then come back and amplify initial, weak effects. Whether the initial effect is strong or weak, relationships are affected, and as those who have had to fix relationships should know, fixing relationships takes time and effort.

Recent discussions have debated whether success drives people to push themselves emotionally
to unthinkable boundaries due to the fear of failure. On one hand, some explain that the fear of success is equally as daunting as the fear of failure, which traps most from setting higher milestones in their paths to success. From this perspective, fear is what keeps people from branching out into a new career.

Moreover, emotional instability among individuals in the workplace drives people towards a state of
paranoia, distracting one another from individually set milestones. Stability and comfort also undermine our goals, which can pose to be deceptive when reaching a state of fulfillment or what is thought to be success, leaving us insecure. In other points of view, the question upheld is whether losing one's self, losing the opportunity at shared success, and forgetting one's upbringing justifies accomplishments made along the emotional journey towards prosperity and financial fulfillment. The examination of these matters will shed light upon The American Dream and what costs people give up to try to make that dream attainable.