Living The American Dream

I found the article titled "Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?: America’s Misguided Culture of Overwork."  to be quite fascinating. (Link here.) When reading this, I was again reminded of the busy American lifestyle of "Go! Go! Go!" and how European countries preform at a relatively slower pace than us. The author compared the United States to Germany and there were some pretty surprising results. The United States works an average of nine extra 40-hour work weeks compared to Germany, but Germany beats us at productivity rates. Many believe it is the mandatory vacation that Germany provides, and also the free education and childcare. Mandated vacation means mandated sleep and social time. (I'm all for free education and will gladly accept!) However, the truth behind living the American dream, white picket fence included, may also come with a fine print: a 40-hour work week, less time with family and friends, more stress and definitely less sleep. Is this something America can change before its too late?


Jung, Alex. "“Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?”: America’s Misguided Culture of
        Overwork." Saloncom RSS. Salon.com, 25 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.