Six basic American cultural values

Six basic American cultural values explain why the United States integrates millions of people from all over the world, create a unique American identity, is a source of innovation, and the technology platform is always leading the world, and is the driving force behind the world's number one economy. Because of the vast disparities across races, ethnicities, and religious groups, embracing diversity is the only viable alternative, even if some may disagree or even threaten it. Many Americans, on the other hand, have come to appreciate the value of their country's variety as time has passed. The first is for Individual Liberty, which comes at the cost of Self-Reliance. We cannot be completely free unless we can care for ourselves and be self-sufficient. The second is Equality of Opportunity, which comes at a cost of competition. We must compete if everyone has an equal opportunity of succeeding. The American Dream, the possibility for a better life and a greater quality of living, is the third. Hard work has long been the price of the American Dream. The fabric of American society is created by the interaction between these values—rights and obligations. The American Dream is defined by this fabric: the conviction that if individuals take responsibility for their lives and work hard, they will have the individual freedom to pursue their personal objectives and a decent chance to compete for success. The first immigrants arrived to North America to build colonies free of the constraints of European societies. The British colonial colonies proclaimed independence from England in 1776, and the United States of America was born. When they drafted the Constitution for their new country in 1787, they separated church and state so that a government-supported church would never exist. Those early settlers' historic decisions shaped the American character in fundamental ways. The early immigrants produced an environment of freedom by restricting the influence of the government and the churches, as well as by abolishing formal nobility. In their views, the United States became connected with the notion of individual liberty. This is, without a doubt, the most fundamental of all American principles. Individualism is a term used by academics and outside observers to describe this concept, yet many Americans refer to it as freedom. The desire and right of all individuals to manage their own fate without outside intervention from the government, a governing noble class, the church, or any other organized authority is referred to as freedom by Americans. The desire to be free of authority was a core principle of the fledgling nation in 1776, and it has continued to draw immigrants to the United States. This gift of individual liberty comes at a price: self-reliance. Individuals must learn to rely on themselves, or they will lose their independence. They owe no one anything, and they have no expectations of anybody; they develop the habit of constantly thinking of themselves as alone, and they are prone to believe that their entire fate is in their own hands. Self-reliance is still a typical American virtue today. It's one of the most difficult qualities of the American personality to grasp, but it's crucial. To maintain their independence, most Americans think they must be self-sufficient. They may lose part of their freedom to do what they want if they rely too much on their family, the government, or any other entity for help. Most Americans feel that even if they are not actually self-sufficient, they must at least appear to be such. Individuals must be perceived as self-reliant in order to be accepted into the mainstream of American life, to have power and/or respect. Most Americans believe that eventually, people must be responsible for their own well-being. The conviction that everyone has a chance to achieve in America is the second significant reason why immigrants have traditionally been lured to the US. This has been the hope of generations of immigrants who have migrated to America. No formal class structure formed in the United States because titles of nobility were prohibited by the Constitution. Many immigrants left older European cultures in the early years of American history, believing that they would have a better chance in America. If most of life is viewed as a race, then a person must run the race in order to succeed; a person must compete with others, even though we all know that not everyone will achieve. Many people believe that it is everyone's responsibility to attempt in order to achieve in the United States. In the life of an American, the strains of competitiveness begin in childhood and last until retirement. Learning to compete well is an important aspect of growing up in the United States, and robust competitive sports programs offered by public schools and community organizations foster competitiveness. The urge to compete makes Americans enthusiastic, but it also puts them under a lot of emotional stress. When they retire, they are no longer subject to competitive pressures. In a culture where individuals who compete successfully are rewarded with so much prestige7, some people may feel worthless and undesired. This might be one of the reasons why elderly individuals in the United States do not always receive the same level of dignity and respect as those in less competitive nations. In general, anyone who does not compete successfully—for whatever reason—does not fit into the mainstream of American society as well as those who do compete and achieve. Many immigrants' dreams came realized as a result of the tremendous resources of the North American continent. They were materially successful, and many of them got overly devoted to their possessions. The American people began to place a value on material prosperity. Materialism is a term that most Americans find distasteful because it places a high importance on material goods. To an American, this suggests that this individual places a high value on material items. Americans dislike being labeled as materialistic because they believe it implies that they solely care about material things and have no religious beliefs. Other beliefs and ideals are held by the majority of Americans. Most Americans still place a high value on accumulating and keeping a big quantity of material belongings. Americans have paid a price for traditional employment and discovering that hard effort is the source of their financial riches. Throughout history, most Americans have found that hard labor is both essential and gratifying. In some respects, material things were considered not just as tangible proof of people's labour, but also as evidence of their skills, as part of the American Dream. James Madison, the founder of the American republic, said in the late 1700s that differences in material holdings reflected differences in personal talents. Many commentators have wondered if the American Dream is truly gone in recent years as the economy has deteriorated. The American Dream has not, for the most part, meant that the typical American can truly rise from poverty to riches. It has always suggested that parents can provide a better life for their children by working hard. Every generation has the potential to be a little wealthier and more successful than their forefathers and mothers. Despite the fact that the gap between the top 1% and the rest of the population has widened substantially in recent years, the vast majority of Americans still believe in the American Dream—that if they work hard, they and their children may have a better life. In America, the dream of upward mobility remains a reality. In order to comprehend the link between what Americans think and how they behave, we must distinguish between idealism and realism. Some people who are working longer hours for less pay still believe in the American Dream, if not for themselves, then for their children. American ideals like equality of opportunity and self-reliance may not always reflect reality in the United States. For instant, equal opportunity is a principle that is not always followed. In truth, some people have a higher probability of achieving their goals than others. Those born into wealthy homes have greater options than those born into lower-income families. Money inheritance does provide a distinct benefit to a person. Although there are regulations in place to ensure equality of opportunity for all people, race and gender may still be variables influencing achievement. New immigrants, too, encounter obstacles that are specific to their position. The fact that American principles are only partially realized in practice does not negate their significance. The majority of Americans still believe in them, and they have a significant impact on their daily lives. Understanding traditional American cultural values and how they have affected practically every aspect of life in the United States makes it simpler to grasp what Americans are thinking and feeling.