--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's nothing in the American dream…" description: "\"There's nothing in the American dream about character. It's a serious flaw.\" — Mike Nichols" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/mike-nichols-6630_american-dream_there-s-nothing-in-the-american-dream-ab_2190780.png" --- # There's nothing in the American dream about character… ![“There's nothing in the American dream about character. It's a serious flaw.” quote by Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/mike-nichols-6630_american-dream_there-s-nothing-in-the-american-dream-ab_2190780.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/mike-nichols-6630_american-dream_there-s-nothing-in-the-american-dream-ab_2190780.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/mike-nichols-6630_american-dream_there-s-nothing-in-the-american-dream-ab_2190780.png) > “There's nothing in the American dream about character. It's a serious flaw.” [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The American Dream lacks emphasis on moral character, making it fundamentally flawed. **In simple terms:** Dream focuses on success, not ethics. Key Takeaway Integrate character development into societal ideals. Themes culture ethics American Dream social critique values Mood critical reflective Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - education curricula - media narratives - corporate ethics programs Key Concepts moral philosophy social psychology cultural criticism Questions to Reflect On - What defines character in modern society? - How can character be measured? A Different Perspective Character is subjective and varies across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Flaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaw/) [Flaws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaws/) ## Related quotes > [“One uncontrolled character flaw can ruin your greatest accomplishment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayde-goodall/one-uncontrolled-character-flaw-can-ruin-your-greatest-accomplishment/) [Wayde Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayde-goodall/) > [By my count, more business leaders have failed and derailed because of arrogance than any other character flaw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/by-my-count-more-business-leaders-have-failed-and-derailed-because-of/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [“...,dying seems like the greatest weakness, and in a world where people say you're lazy for not shaving your legs, then being dead seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/dying-seems-like-the-greatest-weakness-and-in-a-world-where-people/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [My worst character flaw that I'm conscious of is that I tend to think my way into circles instead of resolving anything. It's paralyzing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/my-worst-character-flaw-that-i-m-conscious-of-is-that-i-tend-to-think/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [My most serious character flaw is that I don't deny myself much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/my-most-serious-character-flaw-is-that-i-don-t-deny-myself-much/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [“I'm trying to figure out precisely which character flaw might be responsible for my latest life failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koren-zailckas/i-m-trying-to-figure-out-precisely-which-character-flaw-might-be/) [Koren Zailckas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koren-zailckas/) > [It's not a character flaw to become an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lonergan/it-s-not-a-character-flaw-to-become-an-adult/) [Kenneth Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lonergan/) > [You can not dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-not-dream-yourself-into-a-character-you-must-hammer-and-forge/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one. Every successful person did, what no one else was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/you-cannot-dream-yourself-into-a-character-you-must-hammer-and-forge-4/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/you-cannot-dream-yourself-into-a-character-you-must-hammer-and-forge-3/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [My dream is to be a character in a Wes Anderson movie. I just love how interesting and eclectic and stylized his characters are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-roberts/my-dream-is-to-be-a-character-in-a-wes-anderson-movie-i-just-love-how/) [Emma Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-roberts/) > [If you ever ask me what my all-time dream character is, my answer will be Mia Tansen, the great composer-musician in Hindustani classical music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-shroff/if-you-ever-ask-me-what-my-all-time-dream-character-is-my-answer-will/) [Jackie Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-shroff/) > [“You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/you-cannot-dream-yourself-into-a-character-you-must-hammer-and-forge-2/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [You cannot dream yourself into a character, you must hammer and forge yourself once...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja/you-cannot-dream-yourself-into-a-character-you-must-hammer-and-forge/) [Pooja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja/) > [Do you know, that your only flaw is not knowing how great you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/down-with-love/do-you-know-that-your-only-flaw-is-not-knowing-how-great-you-are/) Down With Love ## More by Mike Nichols > [Stand-up comedy is a very hard thing on the spirit. There are people who transcend it, like Jack Benny and Steve Martin, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/stand-up-comedy-is-a-very-hard-thing-on-the-spirit-there-are-people/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [It's the hardest thing on earth to like yourself, and then when you do, it's a catastrophe. I mean, the people I know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/it-s-the-hardest-thing-on-earth-to-like-yourself-and-then-when-you-do/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [I used to say that winning the Oscar means being back at the Beverly Hills Hotel at 1 A.M. feeling empty. It's the industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/i-used-to-say-that-winning-the-oscar-means-being-back-at-the-beverly/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [I'm an enormous fan of 'The West Wing.' It was one of the very few shows I would watch every week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/i-m-an-enormous-fan-of-the-west-wing-it-was-one-of-the-very-few-shows/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [The only safe thing in filmmaking is to take a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/the-only-safe-thing-in-filmmaking-is-to-take-a-chance/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [I don't expect anything from reviews. Sometimes I am bemused by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/i-don-t-expect-anything-from-reviews-sometimes-i-am-bemused-by-them/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [My first memory in the world is my gym teacher ripping my mother's necklace off her neck and throwing it out the window and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/my-first-memory-in-the-world-is-my-gym-teacher-ripping-my-mother-s/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [Whether something is a success or not has never had much to do with what you do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/whether-something-is-a-success-or-not-has-never-had-much-to-do-with/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [The reason that most British actors are better than most American actors in the end is that they don't make any money. At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/the-reason-that-most-british-actors-are-better-than-most-american/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [Fear of comedy is all so much about who you do it with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/fear-of-comedy-is-all-so-much-about-who-you-do-it-with/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [If you lose a parent, it never goes away. As a kid, I dreamed about my father coming back for 15 or 20 years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/if-you-lose-a-parent-it-never-goes-away-as-a-kid-i-dreamed-about-my/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [Nerves provide me with energy... It's when I don't have them, when I feel at ease, that I get worried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/nerves-provide-me-with-energy-it-s-when-i-don-t-have-them-when-i-feel/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [Technically, maybe I learned most of all from George Stevens, and among his movies I learned the most from 'A Place in the Sun.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/technically-maybe-i-learned-most-of-all-from-george-stevens-and-among/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [Jewish introspection and Jewish humor is a way of surviving . . . if you're not handsome and you're not athletic and you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/jewish-introspection-and-jewish-humor-is-a-way-of-surviving-if-you-re/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > ['Streetcar' is no longer about the moment at all. There is no Blanche DuBois anywhere; south, north, east or west. We don't have Blanche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/streetcar-is-no-longer-about-the-moment-at-all-there-is-no-blanche/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) [Explore all 98 Mike Nichols quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) ## More American dream quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [Are we a nation of guarantees or are we a nation of opportunities to achieve the American dream?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/are-we-a-nation-of-guarantees-or-are-we-a-nation-of-opportunities-to/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [I believe keeping our promises should be our highest priority and that means saving Social Security and Medicare while preserving the American dream for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-believe-keeping-our-promises-should-be-our-highest-priority-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [I want people to know where I come from. I think I have come really far from that, and I did it on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-lee/i-want-people-to-know-where-i-come-from-i-think-i-have-come-really/) [AJ Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-lee/) > [We need to remain a nation that doesn't just welcome but that celebrates legal immigrants who come here seeking to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-to-remain-a-nation-that-doesn-t-just-welcome-but-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [“Let's make no mistake about this: The American Dream starts with the neighborhoods. If we wish to rebuild our cities, we must first rebuild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/let-s-make-no-mistake-about-this-the-american-dream-starts-with-the/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [As a kid, I learned from my parents, teachers, coaches, and friends that what mattered most was Truth - to uncover it, share it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/as-a-kid-i-learned-from-my-parents-teachers-coaches-and-friends-that/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Theres a zoom up in the TV screen Living cancer to our self-esteem yea Cause if this an airless beauty queen But everything aint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentinooo-c/theres-a-zoom-up-in-the-tv-screen-living-cancer-to-our-self-esteem/) Valentinooo\_c > [College is part of the American dream. It shouldnt be part of a financial nightmare for families](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mikulski/college-is-part-of-the-american-dream-it-shouldnt-be-part-of-a/) [Barbara Mikulski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mikulski/) > [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I believe it from the bottom of my heart, and your sons and daughters, too, can have the American dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-a-ribicoff/i-believe-it-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart-and-your-sons-and-daughters/) [Abraham A. Ribicoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-a-ribicoff/) > [I dare to imagine a country where every child I hold in my hands, are all God's children, regardless of the color of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wellstone/i-dare-to-imagine-a-country-where-every-child-i-hold-in-my-hands-are/) [Paul Wellstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wellstone/) [Browse all 1,001 American dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's nothing in the American dream about character. 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