--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the American Dream for most…" description: "\"I think the American Dream for most people is just survival.\" — Sandy Scholl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/sandy-scholl-276073_america_i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-peop_3002871.jpg" --- # I think the American Dream for most people is just survival. ![“I think the American Dream for most people is just survival.” quote by Sandy Scholl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/sandy-scholl-276073_america_i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-peop_3002871.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/sandy-scholl-276073_america_i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-peop_3002871.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/sandy-scholl-276073_america_i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-peop_3002871.jpg) > “I think the American Dream for most people is just survival.” [Sandy Scholl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-scholl/) ## 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 often reduces to mere survival, highlighting socioeconomic challenges. **In simple terms:** Dreams may become survival. Key Takeaway Address systemic barriers to true opportunity. Themes American Dream survival economics hope inequality Mood critical reflective Type analysis commentary When to use this quote - policy analysis - community organizing - personal narratives - media critique Key Concepts sociology politics Questions to Reflect On - What does the American Dream mean to you? - How can society move beyond survival? A Different Perspective Focusing only on survival can limit ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Just Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-survival-1315287/) [People Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-just/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Think American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-american/) ## Related quotes > [“Don’t ever settle for just survival, son. Survival isn’t life…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/don-t-ever-settle-for-just-survival-son-survival-isn-t-life/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Psychopathy's no disorder in those shoes, eh? Just a survival strategy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-watts/psychopathy-s-no-disorder-in-those-shoes-eh-just-a-survival-strategy/) [Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/) > [Survival is the key word to remember—not victory, not conquest, just survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/survival-is-the-key-word-to-remember-not-victory-not-conquest-just/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [Morality is a luxury we can't afford out here. There's no right or wrong, just survival or death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-milligan/morality-is-a-luxury-we-can-t-afford-out-here-there-s-no-right-or/) [Peter Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-milligan/) > [I think the American Dream used to be achieving one's goals in your field of choice-and from that all other things would follow. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-think-the-american-dream-used-to-be-achieving-one-s-goals-in-your/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I think the American Dream is kind of a myth, especially for millennials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weyes-blood/i-think-the-american-dream-is-kind-of-a-myth-especially-for/) [Weyes Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weyes-blood/) > [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/) > [The faith that anyone could move from rags to riches - with enough guts and gumption, hard work and nose to the grindstone -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-faith-that-anyone-could-move-from-rags-to-riches-with-enough-guts/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [The American people recognize that their careers or their kids' careers are going to have to be more dynamic. That they might not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-recognize-that-their-careers-or-their-kids/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think the American people are very smart in understanding our country is very trustworthy with nuclear weapons. We've had them from the beginning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-barbour/i-think-the-american-people-are-very-smart-in-understanding-our/) [Haley Barbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-barbour/) > [“I think the American People are well aware at this point that both people parties are working with large financial and corporate interests to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-ratigan/i-think-the-american-people-are-well-aware-at-this-point-that-both/) [Dylan Ratigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-ratigan/) > [I think American industry has lost perspective about their products.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russel-honore/i-think-american-industry-has-lost-perspective-about-their-products/) [Russel Honore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russel-honore/) > [“When you think of love you think as an American. You must think like a Russian. It is a more expansive view.' 'Americans havea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/when-you-think-of-love-you-think-as-an-american-you-must-think-like-a/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [I think the American people, with some justification, think that most politicians live in la-la land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/i-think-the-american-people-with-some-justification-think-that-most/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [I've said many a time that I think the Un-American Activities Committee in the House of Representatives was the most un-American thing in America!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/i-ve-said-many-a-time-that-i-think-the-un-american-activities/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) ## 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": "I think the American Dream for most people is just survival.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandy Scholl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-scholl/i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-people-is-just-survival/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-scholl/i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-people-is-just-survival/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/sandy-scholl-276073_america_i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-peop_3002871.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/sandy-scholl-276073_america_i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-peop_3002871.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e2/sandy-scholl-276073_america_i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-peop_3002871.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the American Dream for most people is just survival.” — Sandy Scholl", "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": "Sandy Scholl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-scholl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the American Dream for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-scholl/i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-people-is-just-survival/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-scholl/i-think-the-american-dream-for-most-people-is-just-survival/#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 } } ] } ```