Introduction
For every nation, ambitions and aspirations are fundamental factors in cultural mentality. In his paper, Shames explores how America has evolved due to American economic expansion and the opening of new territories. According to the author, the frontier idea that Americans will continue to prosper has impacted Americans. I feel that this belief continues to be influential in the twenty-first century. The desire to achieve the highest success and enjoy all possible benefits is due to the influence of the American nation, not only frontier belief but also popular culture, mutually influencing each other and strengthening the other factors.
Success and Desire of Everything
Social networks, television, popular science literature, and the media especially promote the race for success. Americans see others vacationing in expensive hotels, living in luxury residential complexes, and wearing branded items. Such pictures cause dissatisfaction with themselves: if a person has not achieved such results, they are considered a loser (Delaney para. 22). Therefore, there is a need to meet social expectations, and Americans are included in the race for achievements.
The more Americans put their financial well-being and success at the forefront, the less adapted they felt to life. They face difficulties accepting themselves and feel less a part of their community and connected to others. In addition, such people had an increased risk of behavioral disorders.
If one chooses a different conception of being successful, it can be understood as self-realization (Pogosyan para. 28). There is no need to chase someone; it is about what precisely a person does for the soul and their pleasure. This approach is more environmentally friendly, but only a small percentage of Americans follow it.
The race for success is a pathology because Americans are trying to develop and become better, not for themselves but to be approved by others. They do not pay attention to their actual goals and motives, guided by the generally accepted concept of success (Pennock, para. 30). In this case, success is equated with the availability of money and other riches. However, this does not affect people’s well-being.
The concept of a successful race seems to contain tension, stress, and inflated expectations. Americans often work only for the result, which does not please them. When people strive to be more successful than others, they are in a neurotic state, which makes it challenging to control negative emotions (Shames para. 20). Therefore, the cult of success among Americans is not healthy, since it has no tangible limit.
Influencing Factors
Frontier Belief
Shames claims Americans have been influenced by the frontier belief that America would continue to bloom. Most Americans are patriots, and it is essential to them how the country will be perceived internationally. Therefore, instead of following the call of their heart, they choose a career or salary, because it is important to them how society will perceive it (Shames para. 2). They want to belong to that circle of prosperous people who are the pride of the country.
The image of the American dream in frontier belief gave rise to a stereotype about successful Americans. According to him, it is necessary to have a prestigious position, an expensive car, live in luxury apartments, wear designer clothes, have the perfect body, and be the perfect parent (Delaney para. 2). For many, such pressure is a massive source of stress. However, at the same time, the desire to maintain the country’s authority in the eyes of rival countries makes patriotic Americans strive to meet the requirements of society.
There is a fear of being rejected because an unsuccessful person does not fit into the idea of a resident of a prosperous America. The fear of rejection makes Americans behave in a socially acceptable way. In this way, they increase the chances of survival in an established and maintained cultural and social environment under external pressure from frontier beliefs. Although humans have evolved to respond to changes in the physical environment, their fears have not been able to adapt so quickly to the modern socio-cultural environment (Delaney para. 3). For this reason, frontier beliefs about a progressive superpower put pressure on the sense of patriotism of citizens who, becoming successful, are trying to justify the title of Americans.
Popular Culture
Popular American culture is a huge influence because it supports the stereotype that one can not stop there. Films, music, and books have consolidated in the mass consciousness a clear association of success with work, big money, and the admiration of others (Shames para. 22). In popular American culture, a person who works exactly as long as it takes to earn the amount of money that they need for a comfortable existence is not considered successful. In popular culture, people are not considered successful because they have time for pleasant activities or a great relationship with their parents, siblings, or children.
Popular American culture creates the problem that success is never enough. Success, among other things, means for many people the opportunity to feel special because it is successful people in the classical unhealthy sense who become the leading actors of popular culture (Shames para. 17). Therefore, many are ready to give up not only human relationships that are important for our well-being but even health for this.
The pursuit of success and a sense of one’s peculiarity is transformed by popular culture into harmful habits. Praise stimulates the human brain to produce dopamine, which is often and mistakenly called the hormone of happiness. However, it is involved in all dependent behaviors (Pennock para. 4). Every like and every notification to a written post or published photo gives a person another dose of dopamine. Through these tools of global interaction between people, the popular culture encourages people to sacrifice their physical well-being through lack of sleep and constant overwork.
Conclusion
Thus, one of the core components of cultural mentality for the American country is the topic of ambitions and aspirations. According to his essay, the shape of America has changed due to American economic growth and the opening of new areas. Americans have been impacted by the frontier notion that they will keep prospering. Even in the twenty-first century, people still hold this concept as genuine. The effect of the American nation, including frontier belief and popular culture, which influence and strengthen each other, is responsible for the drive to attain the most significant achievements and reap the greatest rewards.
Works Cited
Delaney, Tim. “Pop Culture: An Overview.” Philosophy Now, 2007.
Pennock, Steve. “The #1 Reason Why We Want More and More (and More).” PositivePsychology.com, 2019.
Pogosyan, Marianna. “How Culture Wires Our Brains.” Psychology Today, 2017.
Shames, Laurence. “The More Factor “. Virginia Education, n. d.