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My grandfather was dyslexic and in his 92 years, he never could learn to read. He started his own garbage disposal business and became wealthy from it, eventual
by cookiecaper 10y ago
My grandfather was dyslexic and in his 92 years, he never could learn to read. He started his own garbage disposal business and became wealthy from it, eventually getting contracts with several significant municipalities in the Northwest before he sold it off. He surrounded himself with intelligent, well-educated people who would read the contracts to him and advise him (primarily his sons and wives, but also trusted employees and confidants).
Of course, this was a different time, but I believe the principle is valid. If you have confidence, charm, and enterprising spirit, the world is open despite any particular individual limitations.
The white-collar career path of collegiate education is not the only option, and as many upset Millennials are discovering, it's often not even a good option anymore.
- magic_beans 10y agoAh, that is the very definition of white privilege. This despairing young white America just doesn't realize they actually have it, unlike their truly hopeless minority counterparts.
- magic_beans 10y agoNaturally this comment won't go well on HN.
- cookiecaper 10y agoFirst, you've presumed that my grandfather was white. Second, I'm not connecting the dots anyway. How does this involve race or privilege? One would assume that illiteracy is a substantial disadvantage regardless of one's family background or ethnicity.
- magic_beans 10y agoHonestly, I assumed he was white because it was entirely unremarkable for a black person your grandfather's age to be illiterate or close to it. (I know your grandpa isn't black). An illiterate black person had almost no chance to have a successful life. > If you have confidence, charm, and enterprising spirit, the world is open despite any particular individual limitations. THAT is white privilege. You must understand that the world is simply NOT open to black people this way. Not at all.
- iamacynic 10y agowhy do you keep saying white privilege when you keep meaning black disadvantage? clearly this is not the same thing.
- magic_beans 10y agoAre you actually serious? Why do you think black people are so disadvantaged? Who wins out in society then? White people.
- iamacynic 10y agothe great thing about blaming everything on white people is that it removes all your own responsibility for the state of your life. what a convenient little system you've got going.
- irrational 10y agoUnfortunately its is difficult to exude confidence and charm when you have trouble putting words together to form sentences.