Teaching for Happiness

The so-called American Dream is, without a doubt, the leading cause for cynicism, nihilism, and hopelessness among young people today.* We're assumed to achieve good grades in middle school, to get into good classes in high school, to get into a good college, to get a good degree, to get a job that pays for a house and car, to marry someone we're pretty happy with, to have kids, and to teach them the whole process, while somehow retiring in Florida on the beach. In this approach to life, we leave zero room for variety and any delineation from the status quo leaves the rest of society puzzled and questioning. By following this process, we've reached the American Dream - regardless of actually being happy (or not). 

When one decides they don't fit into this cookie-cutter mold of what it means to be an American, they are rejected by culture (we wonder why the Depression rates in this country are through the roof).

By placing irrational standards of success on our youth, we end up equating success with happiness. 

To separate happiness from success, we need not lower the standard of success. We must alter the standard of success. Instead of expecting young people to fall into a predetermined mold of what it means to be successful, celebrate what they're doing to be happy, celebrate their interests, celebrate that fact that they're doing anything - celebrate the process, celebrate the struggle.

Contrary to popular belief, happiness requires struggle - the American Dream won't teach you that. Happiness requires the struggle to come to terms with one's own desires - to negate societal claims of success and make decisions based on one's own true best interest. 

We, as a society, as young people, have become so familiar with self-doubt and second-guessing. So much so, that self-doubt has ridden us anxious and stressed out to the point that nothing is actually ever accomplished. We then stray back to the American Dream comfort zone and perpetuate the cycle for the next generation.

In order to make a difference on the planet, we must critically analyze the status quo and be okay with the outcome. In order to be okay with the outcome, we must reevaluate our values and graciously introspect within. 

*Not based on any actual scientific findings.