[quote=patientrenter]When I was a teenager, my family income was less than the modern equivalent of $30,000 a year, and I had only one parent – my Mom (who never finished high school). I went to a school where avoiding gang fights at break was a major priority.
I now earn over $1/2 million a year, and have enough money to buy a home for cash etc.. I got there by working 100-hour weeks for many years, and pouring energy into improving my skills over decades, and applying them to the most financially rewarding jobs.
Most people complaining about how society is very unfair made far fewer tough choices. I just have no sympathy, except in a very few cases. I’ll listen more carefully to someone after they’ve spent 2 decades of 100-hour weeks working at the most financially rewarding jobs available to them.[/quote]
It’s entirely possible for some people who come from rough backgrounds to succeed in this country. Both of my parents did exactly that.
That being said, there is no denying that sheer luck has at least as much to do with success as “hard work” does. I can show you many, many people who work tremendously hard, long hours and are some of the most productive workers in the world, but still live in poverty. A look at many of our illegal immigrants will show that. There is also no doubt that many people who occupy the top levels of wealth and income are NOT there because of “hard work” but rather, because they have the right connections.
