Human-Error Processor

“I am an American, so I have the freedom and opportunity to make whatever I want of my life. I can succeed by working hard and using my talents; if I fail, it will be my own fault. Success is honorable, and failure is not. In order to make sure that my children and grandchildren have the same freedom and opportunities that I do, I have a responsibility to be a good citizen – to respect those whose vision of success is different from my own, to help make sure that everyone has an equal chance to succeed, to participate in the democratic process, and to teach my children to be proud of this country.”

                                                         —-   Hochschild, J. L., & Scovronick, N. (2004). The American Dream and the Public Schools. Oxford University Press, USA.

今天在复习博士生资格考试的时候又翻到了去年读过的这本书，这段话很精辟地写出了美国梦对于个人来说意味着什么。诚然这个梦在不同时期有着不同的内涵，但是它本质的那种个人主义风格始终非常突出。这也许和之前写过的美国人对于第二次机会的宽容有着某种联系吧。