Buckle up, here comes my Canadian perspective again…
I’ve noticed a couple of things since moving to the United States eight years ago: there’s a strange absence of mail collection boxes on street corners and other handy places (I no like having to drive to a post office in order to mail a letter) and a surprising lack of use of the one dollar coin. I was here for years before I even knew there was a one dollar coin. (And if you guys tell me there is a two dollar coin, I am going to be flabbergasted.)
Okay, I’ve noticed a few other things, too, especially now that I’ve been here through two—almost three—presidential elections and a nasty, ugly recession. One thing is that the American Dream really is a real thing! (I’m sorry, America, but in Canada, The Pursuit of Happiness is just a band with song titles like “Gretzky Rocks.”)
As per Wikipedia, the American Dream is about upward social mobility achieved through hard work. The problem is that there’s often a noble but misplaced notion attached to the idea that everyone should be able to bootstrap their way to prosperity. In other words, get there on their own, without external help.
Exsqueeze me? (I’m really into quoting Wayne’s World lately.)
Really, mere mortals, when do we ever get anywhere on our own?
I talk about this a bit in an older blog post on paying it forward, but I wanted to bring it up again because when people say bootstrapping is the way that people should get ahead, à la the American Dream, they usually also talk about small government in there somewhere. (I kind of get that, but I prefer to talk about efficient government. I, too, saw folly in Egypt’s old policy of giving every university graduate a government job.)
So, whoa. Let’s not go small and get rid of one of the primary sources of assistance for people who are trying to get ahead just yet (although I do point out some glaringly silly system barriers that are a result of government programs in last week’s post.) Because if we did get rid of a whole bunch of government programs, then we’re supporting the notion of people being able to get ahead all by their lonesome selves.
Phooey.
Now, before you point out that you have never needed any government assistance or non-profit services or therapy or whatever, let me just ask you to think about who or what replaced those things in your life? Who, or what, helped you to get ahead? I know there was someone/something. And whatever those people or things were, not everyone has access to them (or a reasonable facsimile.) Doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a shot at the American Dream, if they so desire.
Bootstrapping is a nice idea, but it contradicts an important fact. We are human beings. We don’t do anything alone, and there’s no shame in asking for or receiving help, no matter what the context. In fact, I’d say it even contributes to building a stronger fabric of our society.
I agree that there’s no reason to ever fight the battle in business alone. Standing together makes the world of writing and marketing a lot easier. Let me know what I can do to help you as you move forward in your writing career.
Oh, especially in writing! I would have shriveled up and died if writing was a solitary pursuit (working from home is solitary enough.) Thank you, Caleb, for reading and for your offer of support, I look forward to taking you up on it and hope I can reciprocate.
It is amazing to me how truly (adverb intended) different the American and Canadian cultures are – even with the same crowd as settlers. Perhaps it is because Americans are so enamored of heroes and just don’t want to expose the whole story of those amazing merchants of commerce who we were taught to believe did it on their own. Where else could the Horatio Alger myth take a tighter more credible hold than in America. One beauty of the Canadian culture is that its members don’t take much seriously, most especially themselves.
I wish when I was a young and eager Political Science student that we’d had a class where we did a thorough comparison of the Canadian and U.S. Constitutions. I know the former focuses on the collective and the latter on the individual, and that difference seems to show up in the cultures. But it still doesn’t explain the points you made. Thanks for your comment, Christina.
It’s all about connections in almost everything. Hardly anyone is plucked from obscurity and handed the keys to the kingdom. But, you have to be ready for that connection to be made. You have to hone your skills and be willing to do the hard work once it arrives. I think this applies to both writing and to life. I had to have my kids on health care assistance for a year and I’m thankful that that was an option for me when I was unemployed. Now, I’ve got ridiculously expensive insurance through my husband’s work.
Hi Pamela! Thanks for stopping by. Agreed, the hard work element doesn’t go away. And I’d even take your point about connections one step further and say it’s connections/relationships. Sometimes people with whom we have relationships help us even when they’re not trying, and we don’t notice that they’ve helped — a more organic type of outcome.
I totally agree that we don’t do anything alone. There is always someone to help, some relationship reflecting ourselves back so we can take another step! Always a foot up, someone to buy us our first boots, or drive us to the store, at the very least point us in the right direction!
Connection is at the center of your teaching, from what I recall. It’s what gives us purpose, as we are part of something bigger than just us. You say it much more eloquently than I can, though. Thanks, Jodi!
“Bootstrapping” is a good concept, but even the most self-made people did not achieve everything on their own. The trouble with the tale told in the US is that it’s been hijacked by people with their own agenda. “Small government” means “low taxes and no interference in what I want to do.” Then it’s passed on to people who repeat it as if it’s religion — that is, uncritically.
Unfortunately, the “small government” idea is also being pushed in Canada these days by our current government. The funny thing is, whenever governments have been run by those who claim they want to reduce the size of government, government always ends up bigger and more powerful. Look at the Reagan era in the US.
Ah, yes, the Reagan era. There were some sweeping changes made by that administration, that’s for sure. And regarding advocacy of small government, I think part of it is based in one’s inherent trust and faith in government. I still believe that for all the inefficiencies and inadequacies, government will do more for people than a pure free-market economy. Thanks for stopping by, Scott, and adding your input.
“We don’t do anything alone, and there’s no shame in asking for or receiving help, no matter what the context.” The help can be just words of encouragement, or someone to do a phone call you are not able to do or book you an appointment at the doctor. It’s not things you can’t do alone, but it’s like simple steps to push you to do the bigger step 🙂
Nikki, nice to see you over here! I recognize your name from Jodi’s blog. Absolutely, the small things can make all the difference. I agree. Here’s to having the support to give us the courage to take those big steps!
I followed you through Jodi’s Blog 🙂 and her tweets on twitter!
I think essence of bootstrapping does not preclude being helped by others in several ways. Rather I think the central idea is that the push to achieve and carry through has to come from you. Family or friends can provide moral support or other types of support to give you a fair chance, government can even the odds with a program (e.g. loans for college), but the actual hard work and the accomplishment in question has to be achieved by you. If others pick you up and run with you through the finish line then, as far as bootstrapping goes, you didn’t win the race. However, some people will favor the stronger version of bootstrapping you discussed here, and I agree with you that this version is too extreme.
You know, I agree with you, and I completely missed that distinction in my post. Thanks, Rolando.
Agree on bootstrapping flaw design. And have you heard? Canada has the most comfortable and upwardly mobile middle class these days, not US. Got that straight from Diane Sawyer:)
I did hear that! And they also came in first recently for having the most educated population (when including all types of post-high school education). And meanwhile, the U.S.’s middle class continues to shrink. Argh.
Thanks for your comment, Cindy!