What it means to be an American
The majority of Americans would say their country, United States of America, is the greatest country on the face of the planet. However, it wasn’t always like this. Many of the bravest leaders who have ever lived, our ancestors, took part in fighting for the privileges and freedoms we Americans receive today. These courageous men and women stood up against what was wrong, and fought for what was right. These citizens who came before us are the reason for modern-day American freedom and prosperity, as they ultimately shaped the true meaning behind the term “American”. Americans are people who make their own decisions, express theirselves without restraint, and are connected with their neighbors through the sense of freedom and the pursuit of the American Dream, as this country …show more content…
By this, I mean every American citizen is able to choose what he or she does with his or her life and how he or she lives his or her life, without government restrictions. This includes the right to choose one’s own job, own religion, and own place to live; these are some of the most basic freedoms the people of this country are entitled to receive. Jerald M. Jellison, professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, and John H. Harvey, professor of social psychology at Vanderbilt University, recently co-edited a collection of studies in social behavior. One of these studies included a series of questions directed toward Americans who had to choose between two positive alternatives followed by two negative alternatives. After the authors conducted this social experiment on average American citizens, it became clear that “freedom is associated with making decisions…” (49). The role of decision making plays a leading role in American society and is the reason we live so freely
The majority of Americans would say their country, United States of America, is the greatest country on the face of the planet. However, it wasn’t always like this. Many of the bravest leaders who have ever lived, our ancestors, took part in fighting for the privileges and freedoms we Americans receive today. These courageous men and women stood up against what was wrong, and fought for what was right. These citizens who came before us are the reason for modern-day American freedom and prosperity, as they ultimately shaped the true meaning behind the term “American”. Americans are people who make their own decisions, express theirselves without restraint, and are connected with their neighbors through the sense of freedom and the pursuit of the American Dream, as this country …show more content…
By this, I mean every American citizen is able to choose what he or she does with his or her life and how he or she lives his or her life, without government restrictions. This includes the right to choose one’s own job, own religion, and own place to live; these are some of the most basic freedoms the people of this country are entitled to receive. Jerald M. Jellison, professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, and John H. Harvey, professor of social psychology at Vanderbilt University, recently co-edited a collection of studies in social behavior. One of these studies included a series of questions directed toward Americans who had to choose between two positive alternatives followed by two negative alternatives. After the authors conducted this social experiment on average American citizens, it became clear that “freedom is associated with making decisions…” (49). The role of decision making plays a leading role in American society and is the reason we live so freely