High / The American Dream
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provides security for the people not only militaristically, but more
importantly through education and virtue.
Adam Smith, the founder of capitalism, held a similar view to the
Founding Fathers. He agreed that virtue was the key to real happiness.
In his Happiness: A History, Darrin McMahon quotes Adam Smith
who wrote, “wealth and greatness are mere trinkets of frivolous utility
no more adapted for procuring ease of body or tranquility of mind
than the tweezer cases of the lover of toys” (qtd. in McMahon 329).
For Smith, McMahon explains, “tranquility and enjoyment . . . had
less to do with economic condition than it did with virtue” (329).
Smith believed that in order to achieve a better, fuller, and richer life
people needed to stop focusing on material wealth and needed to start
focusing on their virtues and values. Smith pointed out that wealth
alone does not bring individuals the satisfaction and enjoyment.
Satisfaction and enjoyment must come from within us, which can be
achieved by following our own ideas, thoughts, and values.
Another key aspect to the good life was health. In one of his
letters, Thomas Jefferson discussed the importance of walking. While
the Founding Fathers were devoted scholars, they understood that the
mind needed to rest. They knew that their health was very important.
Jefferson recommended two hours of exercise a day because “a strong
body makes the mind strong” (309). Walking was a healthy way to
relax, relieve stress, and enjoy your time.
Today many people walk and exercise not out of enjoyment, but
to lose weight or stay in shape. Many people go to gyms to work out
and walk on treadmills instead of outside. Instead of a fun and
relaxing activity, walking becomes a chore. Some people do not have
time to walk because they are too exhausted from working while
others simply do not like to be active. People become so focused on
material gain that they do not take time to take care of their health.
“Results from the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and
weights, indicate that an estimated 33.9% of U.S. adults aged 20 and
over are overweight, 35.1% are obese, and 6.4% are extremely obese”