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>> What would you tell this to someone who wasn't born into wealth or opportunity? You're pretty much screwed, don't bother? I think it's better to be realisti

>> What would you tell this to someone who wasn't born into wealth or opportunity? You're pretty much screwed, don't bother? I think it's better to be realistic about your chances and it may help to drive the political discourse into the right direction as well. After all this is a political issue. In the end as others have said here it's more important to have a balanced, happy life and good health than to chase the lotto ticket in a rigged game.

bko 5y ago
> After all this is a political issue. It's really not. Hard work does lead to a better life. It's fulfilling in its own right, at least for me. That's why I go to the gym and push myself regularly. If I loaf around all day, I don't feel well. I find meaning and satisfaction from being productive or putting in effort. It's not only societal but biological. Things are harder for some people, sure. But for children, the bar is so low in the US that a minimal amount of effort could put you on the right track. My experience was basically that showing up and doing what you're supposed to do puts you above 50% of your peers. Consider Hoboken High School. 12% of students are math proficient. NJ is 42, while the graduation rate is 90%. The bar is very low. [0] https://www.publicschoolreview.com/hoboken-high-school-profile https://www.publicschoolreview.com/hoboken-high-school-profi...
- artificialLimbs 5y ago
  Taking personal responsibility for my life has completely revolutionized it, even being > 40 years of age. The idea of working as hard as one can and as much as possible is game changing. Optimizing for effort and learning and health (mental/physical/emotional) creates meaning in one's life and enables an entirely different mindset from 'the normal drudgery' that I see so much of on my social feeds.
myfavoritedog 5y ago
than to chase the lotto ticket in a rigged game That's just a strawman. We're not talking about winning the lottery. This is about whether you improve your outcome by participating in the workforce in some meaningful way. From the article: >Despite strong economic performance, a majority of respondents in every developed market do not believe they will be better off in five years’ time. That shows a disconnect between opportunity out there and people's feeling that they will take part in that opportunity.

bko 5y ago

> After all this is a political issue. It's really not. Hard work does lead to a better life. It's fulfilling in its own right, at least for me. That's why I go to the gym and push myself regularly. If I loaf around all day, I don't feel well. I find meaning and satisfaction from being productive or putting in effort. It's not only societal but biological. Things are harder for some people, sure. But for children, the bar is so low in the US that a minimal amount of effort could put you on the right track. My experience was basically that showing up and doing what you're supposed to do puts you above 50% of your peers. Consider Hoboken High School. 12% of students are math proficient. NJ is 42, while the graduation rate is 90%. The bar is very low. [0] https://www.publicschoolreview.com/hoboken-high-school-profile https://www.publicschoolreview.com/hoboken-high-school-profi...

artificialLimbs 5y ago
Taking personal responsibility for my life has completely revolutionized it, even being > 40 years of age. The idea of working as hard as one can and as much as possible is game changing. Optimizing for effort and learning and health (mental/physical/emotional) creates meaning in one's life and enables an entirely different mindset from 'the normal drudgery' that I see so much of on my social feeds.

myfavoritedog 5y ago

than to chase the lotto ticket in a rigged game That's just a strawman. We're not talking about winning the lottery. This is about whether you improve your outcome by participating in the workforce in some meaningful way. From the article: >Despite strong economic performance, a majority of respondents in every developed market do not believe they will be better off in five years’ time. That shows a disconnect between opportunity out there and people's feeling that they will take part in that opportunity.