--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The American dream is not that every man…" description: "\"The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/ronald-reagan-119_america_the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man_450493.jpg" --- # The American dream is not that every man must be level… ![“The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/ronald-reagan-119_america_the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man_450493.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/ronald-reagan-119_america_the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man_450493.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/ronald-reagan-119_america_the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man_450493.jpg) > “The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## 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 is about freedom to pursue individual destiny, not enforced equality. **In simple terms:** Freedom to become what one is meant to be. Key Takeaway Embrace personal freedom and purpose. Themes freedom individualism purpose Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choice - entrepreneurship - creative pursuits - personal development Key Concepts American Dream self‑determination Questions to Reflect On - What does freedom mean to you? - How do you balance personal ambition with community? A Different Perspective Equality of outcome is not the goal, which can cause social tension. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dream Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream-man-563424/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Every man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man/) [Free God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-god-393309/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Independence day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence-day/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Man American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-american-412277/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Presidential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidential/) [Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [“What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ickes/what-constitutes-an-american-not-color-nor-race-nor-religion-not-the/) [Harold Ickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ickes/) > [What, then, is this new man, the American? They are a mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this promiscuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-hector-st-john-de-crevecoeur/what-then-is-this-new-man-the-american-they-are-a-mixture-of-english/) [J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-hector-st-john-de-crevecoeur/) > [“An American is a man who is greater in his soul than in his class, creed, political party, or the section in which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/an-american-is-a-man-who-is-greater-in-his-soul-than-in-his-class/) [David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/) > [Who am I? I'm a man; an American, a father, a teacher, but most of all, I am a person who knows how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-d-amboise/who-am-i-i-m-a-man-an-american-a-father-a-teacher-but-most-of-all-i/) [Jacques d'Amboise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-d-amboise/) > [Visit the Navy-Yard, and behold a marine, such a man as an American government can make, or such as it can make a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/visit-the-navy-yard-and-behold-a-marine-such-a-man-as-an-american/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Forgiveness is hard for me, man. It is for most American-Western males. It's a sign of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-alexakis/forgiveness-is-hard-for-me-man-it-is-for-most-american-western-males/) [Art Alexakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-alexakis/) > [I grew up in Canada and was a huge Spider-Man fan, and never thought of Spider-Man as an American hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-epstein/i-grew-up-in-canada-and-was-a-huge-spider-man-fan-and-never-thought/) [Jake Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-epstein/) > [Growing up in the States, there's this part of me that's like, man, I'm Indian. Like, this is where I belong. And as soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-minhaj/growing-up-in-the-states-there-s-this-part-of-me-that-s-like-man-i-m/) [Hasan Minhaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-minhaj/) > [We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/we-can-have-no-50-50-allegiance-in-this-country-either-a-man-is-an/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Think about way back then...turn your thoughts way back then...remember the essence way back then...treasured the memories way back then...Feel free to embrace the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/think-about-way-back-then-turn-your-thoughts-way-back-then-remember/) [Louaiq8](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louaiq8/) > [We don't celebrate dependence day on the Fourth of July. We celebrate Independence Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-don-t-celebrate-dependence-day-on-the-fourth-of-july-we-celebrate/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“In the dream of the man that dreamed, the dreamed one awoke.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/in-the-dream-of-the-man-that-dreamed-the-dreamed-one-awoke/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [For a woman, love is the highest dream, and if a man promises to build a ladder tall enough to reach it, she believes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/for-a-woman-love-is-the-highest-dream-and-if-a-man-promises-to-build/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [“He wanted to dream a man; he wanted to dream him with minute integrity and insert him into reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/he-wanted-to-dream-a-man-he-wanted-to-dream-him-with-minute-integrity/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I'm every woman's dream and every man's nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-flair/i-m-every-woman-s-dream-and-every-man-s-nightmare/) [Ric Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-flair/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man-must-be-level-with-every/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man-must-be-level-with-every/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/ronald-reagan-119_america_the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man_450493.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/ronald-reagan-119_america_the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man_450493.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/ronald-reagan-119_america_the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man_450493.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that…” — Ronald Reagan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ronald Reagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The American dream is not that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man-must-be-level-with-every/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-american-dream-is-not-that-every-man-must-be-level-with-every/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```