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None of what you pusted takes away from the fact the neither Gates, Ellison, Jobs or Zuckerberg graduated from college. The purpose of my prior post was to refute the OP's assertion about getting a college degree was part of the "formula" for getting rich.
Also I'd have to refute your contention that people in poor communities are not capable or getting wealthy. Russell Simmons, Sean P. "Diddy" Combs, and Jay-Z, didn't come from well off families but each of these guys is worth well over $100 million dollars.
The bottom line is in the current "Winner Take All" economy rewards exceptionally talented people.
EXCEPTIONS to the rule are just that EXCEPTIONS.
1) Hiltons
2) Vanderbilts
3) Kennedys
4) Freeman (shout out to distant relatives of mine...Freeman Foundation...founder of AIG)
6) Rockerfellers
7) Bush
8)Dupont
9) Astor
The list goes on...
The bottom line is that we do not live in a meritocracy.
If we did, why aren't other rappers from the streets that are better and work harder than Jay-Z not as rich?
Luck has a part to play in some people's success.
However, if you are born into wealth, then you have more of a chance to take risks. You can go to Harvard and make connections and then drop out if you want. Or you can pursue interests that many others can't afford (technology being one of them in the 1980s).
If you can't see that we don't all start from the same place and that being born into wealth is probably the largest factor of future economic success, then you bought into the myth.
This country has MORE opportunities for the "underprivileged" to get a leg-up than any other nation on earth. There are literally hundreds of programs out there that will provide training, education and even FUNDING for disadvantaged people to get a start. Now, more than EVER BEFORE IN HISTORY, there are endless opportunities to be successful.
I refuse to buy into the mentality that we need to "give poor people opportunities so that they can have a chance to shine". They've GOT THEM and there isn't much shining going on.
These days people are either too fearful or lazy to set goals and work toward achieving them. I DARE you to ask 10 people what their goal in life is. I doubt if ONE of those ten will have a clearly defined goal. And something like..."making good money" is not a clearly defined goal.
People are wishy washy. If something looks like work, they tend to back away. If something looks like a sacrifice they won't even consider it. Every single day of the week "disadvantaged" people are graduating from college and opening businesses and being SUCCESSFUL because they have set their mind on doing something and no power in heaven or earth is going to prevent them from doing it.
If you talk to people who are wealthy, who have become wealthy, they all have the same mindset and BURNING DESIRE. They will not stop and they will not take no for an answer. Who do you know like that? Probably nobody. I rest my case.
20yrsinBranson
I didn't even read the entire post since it started off flawed. We don't have more opportunities for the underprivileged than anywhere on earth. In fact, out of industrialized nations we consistently rank as one of the worst places to get a leg up. Oddly, Nordic countries have more social mobility than we do.
There is less mobility. Go and research it for yourselves. This isn't anything new. It shouldn't come as a shock to any intelligent, rational American.
1) Hiltons
2) Vanderbilts
3) Kennedys
4) Freeman (shout out to distant relatives of mine...Freeman Foundation...founder of AIG)
6) Rockerfellers
7) Bush
8)Dupont
9) Astor
The list goes on...
The bottom line is that we do not live in a meritocracy.
If we did, why aren't other rappers from the streets that are better and work harder than Jay-Z not as rich?
Luck has a part to play in some people's success.
However, if you are born into wealth, then you have more of a chance to take risks. You can go to Harvard and make connections and then drop out if you want. Or you can pursue interests that many others can't afford (technology being one of them in the 1980s).
If you can't see that we don't all start from the same place and that being born into wealth is probably the largest factor of future economic success, then you bought into the myth.
i don't know why it is not a link, why is it not linky?
It's not found.
To add to this, America is a combination of smarts, hard work, luck and the right connections.
There are vast numbers of people that are farther ahead, simply because they knew the right name, had the right phone number, went to the school with the right person or made the right acquaintance.
As much as I hate to say it, it could be a matter of right place, right time, right person.
It's a myth that hard work and education alone will yield good money. While it certainly increase your chances and you will probably do OK, it doesn't mean you'll be 'rich'. You also have to be street smart and also, be at the right place, at the right moment. There is a good amount of luck in getting rich, whether people want to agree or not.
The idea that we all have the same opportunities is a myth that corporate shills have manage to drill into the poorest and most uneducated portion of the population.
Bolded in emphasis, +100. Only in fairy tales and in movies is does the utopia of a meritocratic society actually exist...
To add to this, America is a combination of smarts, hard work, luck and the right connections.
There are vast numbers of people that are farther ahead, simply because they knew the right name, had the right phone number, went to the school with the right person or made the right acquaintance.
As much as I hate to say it, it could be a matter of right place, right time, right person.
"Children from low-income families have only a 1 percent chance of reaching the top 5 percent of the income distribution, versus children of the rich who have about a 22 percent chance.
Children born to the middle quintile of parental family income ($42,000 to $54,300) had about the same chance of ending up in a lower quintile than their parents (39.5 percent) as they did of moving to a higher quintile (36.5 percent). Their chances of attaining the top five percentiles of the income distribution were just 1.8 percent."
"Children from low-income families have only a 1 percent chance of reaching the top 5 percent of the income distribution, versus children of the rich who have about a 22 percent chance.
Children born to the middle quintile of parental family income ($42,000 to $54,300) had about the same chance of ending up in a lower quintile than their parents (39.5 percent) as they did of moving to a higher quintile (36.5 percent). Their chances of attaining the top five percentiles of the income distribution were just 1.8 percent."
so it's kind of like playing the lottery?
The problem with saying stuff like this is that you are assuming that the kids from both sets of parents are valuing their education as much, working as hard, setting their sights high...
The difference isn't about where they came from. The difference is in where they think they are going. Their families DO come into play in the sense that they can set in their brains what is and what isn't acceptable behavior and expectations for their future.
Example: In my family, not only are you expected to go to college (no matter what), you are expected to have at least one graduate degree. It's just how things are.
My friend's family was delighted that she even went to college (first one)...and her father told her it was a waste of time and she didn't need it.
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