The Myth Of Individual Success - 1430 Words

Across oceans and seas, in every village, city or town, an apple falls at 9.8 meters per second squared. This fact has remained unchanged since it was discovered, and the myth of individual opportunity and the myth of gender in the United States have also stayed true to its original meaning since the beginning of the myths, only with a few minor changes. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word myth as â€Å"an idea or story defined by many people but is not true. These myths, in particular the myth of individual success and the myth of gender can give us unrealistic beliefs about the society we live in and cause psychological harm due to society’s preset gender roles that are pounded in our heads and reinforced by our peers, our families and the media. Through educating people about the realities that underlie these myths and finding ways to break free of gender roles as well as encouraging others to do the same we can start a movement to end the chains that tightly s ecure us to behave based on expectations. The traits that are thought of to bring success have changed over time, but the general meaning of the myth of individual opportunity has remained the same. The myth of individual opportunity is the belief that everyone has the same chance to wealth and class. The route to success in the 1800s was based in virtues such as honesty, modesty, and bravery. Horatio Alger, a popular writer in the 1800s wrote stories about men going from rags to riches. His stories exemplifyShow MoreRelatedMoney And Success : The Myth Of Individual Opportunity By Gary Colombo Essay1661 Words   |  7 Pagesdreamt of. This means that there is plenty of competition between people chasing the same dream. 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