An Unfortunate Asterisk to the American Narrative

As I was reading one of our classmate's blog post, a quote on their home page caught my attention: "This is the story of America. Everybody's doing what they think they're supposed to do" -Jack Kerouac. This is a pretty bold statement, for it argues that Americans are not individuals, but conformists. At first, I was surprised and rather offended by the claim, because I have been trained into accepting America's dominant narrative as its reality. Our class saw a good portrayal of this dominant narrative at the beginning of the year when we watched the Chevy commercial, which characterized America as a populace of hard working, self-made individuals. Although I believe Kerouac's statement to be an over generalization of Americans, I agree there are many aspects of American society that breed followers, rather than leaders. 

Take the example of society's view of success. In today's world, the success which is commonly celebrated and praised, is marked by predictable and conventional achievements, such as getting into a "good" college, landing a well paying job, and living in a nice neighborhood with a happy family. It seems that any other road to success that does not comply with these "all American cornerstones," is simply, a failed attempt at happiness. And since no one wants to be unhappy, or more importantly because no one wants to be labeled as a failure, isn't it easier to abandon our dreams, that run the risk of failure, and follow society's conventional road to success? This thought process is where we as a nation fall victim to conformity. Of course, there are the exceptions to the rule. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Guy Starbuck surely did not let the fear of failing and being rejected by society stop them from pursuing their dreams. However, many average Americans do feel the pull of the desire to be accepted, believing that happiness and success will come with it. 

Given the countless crisis's ailing our world today, Americans cannot afford to be doing what everyone else is doing, or doing what "they think they're supposed to do" as dictated by society. We need to stand apart from the crowd as strong leaders. Otherwise, the future of our nation and our world is sure to be doomed if everyone continues to put the job off for someone else.