Actually, I believe in adversity creating stronger and more capable people that push themselves to achieving great goals. The people that we celebrate as heroes are the ones that demonstrate perseverance in the face of impossible odds. No one celebrates the child of a millionaire graduating an Ivy League school, but someone that came from an impoverished and broken home from a gang ridden ghetto is a hero and celebrated for their motivation and exceptionalism for doing the same. This is what distinguishes people from one another. Anyone can succeed when you hold all the cards, but greatness is found when you are dealt a shitty hand and you succeed regardless. It is hard to be spoiled when you grew up in a trailer park with a single parent that worked two and three jobs to support her children. Especially when she was an immigrant that came here without speaking english and with a 3rd grade education. The reason why America is so great is because she had a chance to come here and succeed. In her home country, there was no opportunity for success. No matter how hard she would've worked, there was no path possible. My mother is my hero and I celebrate her because she defied the odds. I wouldn't change anything from my upbringing, it has made me who I am.
Absolutely true, but regardless of who is celebrated, those who succeed are more likely to have started with a solid foundation (generational wealth). And, the subject I was avoiding, black people arguably are hugely disadvantaged in this regard, due to the impacts of racism on their ancestors.
Realistically, you're not going to will everything you have to charity so that your children grow stronger in adverse conditions, it's just not how the human brain is wired.
The statistics of success of inherited wealth do not seem to agree with generational wealth. The far majority of inherited wealth is squandered and lost within two generations. I don't have the stats for it, but I think I can find it. It was in the area around 80% lost within one generation. The number was increases to over 90% in the second generation. There are some well known families that have prevented this with lawyers and trusts, but virtually all of the new rich generally lose it all. This is definitely noticeable in the children of actors, professional athletes and politicians. Few children actually make something of their lives and far more ended up with catastrophic lives
It's not just about wealth wealth, per your previous comments it's also about stability that modest means provide. I applaud your success through adversity, but not everyone would have made it, and some of those who wouldn't have grew up in a stable family environment which afforded them the opportunity to succeed regardless. Not everyone was on the same starting line, whether it's due to their parents being recent citizens from another country, or being recent citizens due to emancipation. Parents who have trouble providing for their children are more likely to produce parents who have trouble providing for their children, and here we are.
The age old problem about unfairness in the world. Unfortunately I don't believe this is a condition that we can ever rectify. When I joined the military, there was quite the abundance of young men that were all sourced from rather humble families. We were all treated equally, pretty much we were all treated like the ding dongs we were. Even though we all were paid the same, all dressed the same and were all treated the same, we still had those unfortunate guys that made awful decisions and did stupid things. It made me realize that personal decision making is for more important than most people realize. Most of the people that I have encountered have managed to make their lives more difficult or when difficult circumstances come, they make poor decisions in how to handle it. My upbringing was not ideal, my sister and I were latch key kids. We pretty much raised ourselves from the time I was 5 and she was 7. Mom worked from 7 in the morning to about 4 at a manufacturing plant. She would leave there and start work at a restaurant from 5 to midnight. She did this five days a week. In Saturday morning she went to a cafe as a waitress from the morning till she started the evening shift at the restaurant that she worked at all week. Sunday morning she would sleep in until noon, trying to get back some energy, but she would go back to work from 5 to 10 at the restaurant. My sister was like Wednesday from the Addams family. She was always coming up with new ways to try and kill me. In retrospect, it is funny in a morbid way. My sister and I used to laugh about it when we were adults. I joined the military before her, but we both came out completely different people. I credit the military for raising me and teaching me the hard lessons in life. It could have gone an entirely different way for both of us, but we both turned out really well. My mother has done very well for herself and is retired very comfortably because of how she saved and invested her modest income. The take away that I have is that this country provided opportunities for all of us, what we decided to do with that opportunity is what decided our fate. In the end it all boils down to choices. People claim they don't have choices, but there is always a choice. It may not be good choices, but there is always a choice between doing right and wrong. Some people make some choices that can ruin their entire lives. I had several of those in my life, fortunately I always made the right decision and did not ruin my life, but it very well could have gone the wrong way. I very nearly committed murder when I was a teenager. Before I committed to it, I reconsidered and did not go through with it. Whatever made me change my mind was one of those seminal moments in my life that would have changed my entire future. One bad decision would have destroyed any decent future. I think most people aren't brought to a situation like that, but instead make multiple smaller decisions that slowly destroy their own lives.
Actually, I believe in adversity creating stronger and more capable people that push themselves to achieving great goals. The people that we celebrate as heroes are the ones that demonstrate perseverance in the face of impossible odds. No one celebrates the child of a millionaire graduating an Ivy League school, but someone that came from an impoverished and broken home from a gang ridden ghetto is a hero and celebrated for their motivation and exceptionalism for doing the same. This is what distinguishes people from one another. Anyone can succeed when you hold all the cards, but greatness is found when you are dealt a shitty hand and you succeed regardless. It is hard to be spoiled when you grew up in a trailer park with a single parent that worked two and three jobs to support her children. Especially when she was an immigrant that came here without speaking english and with a 3rd grade education. The reason why America is so great is because she had a chance to come here and succeed. In her home country, there was no opportunity for success. No matter how hard she would've worked, there was no path possible. My mother is my hero and I celebrate her because she defied the odds. I wouldn't change anything from my upbringing, it has made me who I am.
Absolutely true, but regardless of who is celebrated, those who succeed are more likely to have started with a solid foundation (generational wealth). And, the subject I was avoiding, black people arguably are hugely disadvantaged in this regard, due to the impacts of racism on their ancestors.
Realistically, you're not going to will everything you have to charity so that your children grow stronger in adverse conditions, it's just not how the human brain is wired.
The statistics of success of inherited wealth do not seem to agree with generational wealth. The far majority of inherited wealth is squandered and lost within two generations. I don't have the stats for it, but I think I can find it. It was in the area around 80% lost within one generation. The number was increases to over 90% in the second generation. There are some well known families that have prevented this with lawyers and trusts, but virtually all of the new rich generally lose it all. This is definitely noticeable in the children of actors, professional athletes and politicians. Few children actually make something of their lives and far more ended up with catastrophic lives
It's not just about wealth wealth, per your previous comments it's also about stability that modest means provide. I applaud your success through adversity, but not everyone would have made it, and some of those who wouldn't have grew up in a stable family environment which afforded them the opportunity to succeed regardless. Not everyone was on the same starting line, whether it's due to their parents being recent citizens from another country, or being recent citizens due to emancipation. Parents who have trouble providing for their children are more likely to produce parents who have trouble providing for their children, and here we are.
The age old problem about unfairness in the world. Unfortunately I don't believe this is a condition that we can ever rectify. When I joined the military, there was quite the abundance of young men that were all sourced from rather humble families. We were all treated equally, pretty much we were all treated like the ding dongs we were. Even though we all were paid the same, all dressed the same and were all treated the same, we still had those unfortunate guys that made awful decisions and did stupid things. It made me realize that personal decision making is for more important than most people realize. Most of the people that I have encountered have managed to make their lives more difficult or when difficult circumstances come, they make poor decisions in how to handle it. My upbringing was not ideal, my sister and I were latch key kids. We pretty much raised ourselves from the time I was 5 and she was 7. Mom worked from 7 in the morning to about 4 at a manufacturing plant. She would leave there and start work at a restaurant from 5 to midnight. She did this five days a week. In Saturday morning she went to a cafe as a waitress from the morning till she started the evening shift at the restaurant that she worked at all week. Sunday morning she would sleep in until noon, trying to get back some energy, but she would go back to work from 5 to 10 at the restaurant. My sister was like Wednesday from the Addams family. She was always coming up with new ways to try and kill me. In retrospect, it is funny in a morbid way. My sister and I used to laugh about it when we were adults. I joined the military before her, but we both came out completely different people. I credit the military for raising me and teaching me the hard lessons in life. It could have gone an entirely different way for both of us, but we both turned out really well. My mother has done very well for herself and is retired very comfortably because of how she saved and invested her modest income. The take away that I have is that this country provided opportunities for all of us, what we decided to do with that opportunity is what decided our fate. In the end it all boils down to choices. People claim they don't have choices, but there is always a choice. It may not be good choices, but there is always a choice between doing right and wrong. Some people make some choices that can ruin their entire lives. I had several of those in my life, fortunately I always made the right decision and did not ruin my life, but it very well could have gone the wrong way. I very nearly committed murder when I was a teenager. Before I committed to it, I reconsidered and did not go through with it. Whatever made me change my mind was one of those seminal moments in my life that would have changed my entire future. One bad decision would have destroyed any decent future. I think most people aren't brought to a situation like that, but instead make multiple smaller decisions that slowly destroy their own lives.