Book contents
- Self-Made
- Self-Made
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- A Word about Words
- Introduction
- 1 A New World of Ambition and Judgment
- 2 Self-Improvement for the Common Good in the Eighteenth Century
- 3 Work and Merit in a New Republic
- 4 The Politics of Self-Making in a Self-Made Nation
- 5 Forging Origins in Antebellum Stories
- 6 Character and Money in Mid-Century
- 7 Gilded Age Heroes
- 8 Competing Stories of Self-Help Before 1936
- 9 Stories Against the New Deal
- 10 Targeting the Common Good, 1950–2000
- 11 The Myth’s Twenty-First-Century Victories
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Index
11 - The Myth’s Twenty-First-Century Victories
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 October 2025
Book contents
- Self-Made
- Self-Made
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- A Word about Words
- Introduction
- 1 A New World of Ambition and Judgment
- 2 Self-Improvement for the Common Good in the Eighteenth Century
- 3 Work and Merit in a New Republic
- 4 The Politics of Self-Making in a Self-Made Nation
- 5 Forging Origins in Antebellum Stories
- 6 Character and Money in Mid-Century
- 7 Gilded Age Heroes
- 8 Competing Stories of Self-Help Before 1936
- 9 Stories Against the New Deal
- 10 Targeting the Common Good, 1950–2000
- 11 The Myth’s Twenty-First-Century Victories
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Index
Summary
The myth of self-made success triumphed in the new millennium, incentivizing claims that are impervious to reality. Prominent examples include George W. Bush, Donald Trump, and Kylie Jenner, who began their lives in great financial and social wealth, yet they all believe they were self-made. Bush and Trump endorsed policies that lowered taxes for elites but cut programs that served everyone else, arguing that taxes punish success and social support programs foster irresponsibility. The myth eased reducing constraints on financial exploits, making possible both great fortunes and economic crises, such as the Great Recession that began in 2007 and led to taxpayers’ bailouts of private institutions. The megahit reality TV show Shark Tank displayed the myth on steroids, starring “self-made” entrepreneurs. In contrast, the despair of struggling people accused of self-made failure and willful irresponsibility has been deadly. Such accusations can be profitable, as J.D. Vance’s career has shown. This myth-made culture ignores the communities and institutions that make wealth generation possible. It frees tycoons to acquire and donate large fortunes, garnering acclaim as philanthropists.
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- Self-MadeThe Stories That Forged an American Myth, pp. 251 - 275Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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