The American Dream Is A Noble Lie

“Noble lies” are still being told in present-day. One example of a “noble lie” that is still told presently is the concept of the American Dream. Many years ago, immigrants saw America as a place of hope and new beginnings, which caused many of them to immigrate here. They had high hopes that they would be able to make a better living for themselves as opposed to living in poverty or mediocrity in their motherland. The government and leaders constantly told these immigrants that if they worked hard enough, they would eventually reach a state of wealth, happiness and prosperity. This “rags-to-riches” idea gave much hope to the poor that one day they would make it. However, this concept of the American Dream is classified as a “noble lie.” This …show more content…
A “noble lie” is devised to keep peace within a certain group of people and that is exactly what the American Dream does. By leaders telling citizens that if you work hard enough, you can make it in this country, it encourages people in the working class to keep working to strive for greatness. It is almost used as a mechanism for motivation of the American people. This concept also keeps the working class from wanting to rebel against or overthrow the upper classes, which creates and keeps peace between the classes. This idea relates to the lie told in the Myth of Metals that everyone is born with a specific metal in them. It divides the classes distinctly while also keeping peace with the citizens of each class. A big disadvantage of this “noble lie” is that it is unfair to the working class. They are constantly told by authority that if they stay focused and keep working toward their goal, they will eventually reach wealth and prosperity and this is not true. A prime example of this can be shown through the process of applying to college. For instance, it is very tough for a poor student to get into an Ivy League college and even if he/she works hard to get into the school, they will not have enough money to pay for it. They probably will not even have enough money to pay to take standardized exams to even try to apply for the college so even working extremely hard would not help this poor student. The American Dream imposes false hope into people trying to strive for a more prosperous future. Another disadvantage of using this “noble lie” is the fact that it is a lie. Lying is not a virtuous deed and it can cause one to lose trust in the American system and our