The American Dream

I think I figured out the problem. I think there is just a basic disagreement about working going on here. We, as Americans, all think the same way. We don't know it, but we do. We're all questing after the American Dream. We believe that with hard work, courage, and determination we can achieve success and prosperity. I believe this, and I believe that the harder a person works with good intentions toward success, the more they essentially deserve this success. Nothing feels better to me than knowing that I was successful because I worked hard at it.

Australians have this motto that they call "Fair Dinkum". I've never actually heard a single Australian mutter those words, but, now that I know what it is, I see that they all live their lives by this motto. It's about being honest and good to your word, and it assures that everyone has a fair crack at whatever. (I've looked this up on wikipedia and consulted my panels of experts in family 385). So, it's a little bit like the anti-American Dream. This concept in essence, suggests that everyone should get a fair crack at success and prosperity regardless of how little or how much they've put into achieving that success.

When I realized this disparity, a lot of things became clear. I think Australians are in general lazy with regard to a lot of really important things, and they think I'm on a speed freak rush trip and freak out about too many things. I'm working because I think that I'm the only person who can make or break my success in life. They work, but they also build intricate social webs that appear to help them climb to success.

But, we have intricate webs as well. The wine industry, for example, seems extremely well connected amongst themselves, that's one of the things I love about it. And, it's not to say that Australians don't work hard because they do!

So, one model is not entirely autonomous, obviously, but you can see where the differences in opinion might emerge. It's really quite funny, realizing that your way of doing things isn't the only way that things are done.

I still believe that hard work, determination, and perserverance will lend themselves to success. I generally don't rely on others to do the things that I need to do because I find them, on a whole, unreliable when it comes to me being picky about the way I want things done. Self-preservation, I guess.

As Janis Joplin said, sorry Australia, "In the end, you're all you've got." I guess it will be my way for me!

Cheers