I had a Swiss colleague (he grew up in France/Switzerland, settled in US in his 30s) who firmly believed that being poor is a choice. His argument is that he wo

I had a Swiss colleague (he grew up in France/Switzerland, settled in US in his 30s) who firmly believed that being poor is a choice. His argument is that he worked hard for what he has (which he did) but he conveniently ignored that fact that he was born in a wealthy country and was given all the opportunities. No matter how much I explained to him, giving examples (like a kid born in poor, drug ridden neighborhood and raised by single mother with father in prison etc), he simply refused to acknowledge his geographic birth lottery. He simply wasn't able to see beyond his bubble. Which made me think - do I understand, can I understand the issues faced by people who I have minimal/no contact, experience with? LGBTQ, physically challenged, mentally challenged, deeply religious etc? I don't know. I am terrified that I might say something stupid/offensive if I meet a transgender person, for example. Not because I am an arsehole, but because I simply do not comprehend what they are going through. These echo chambers are only going to get worse and worse. I wish we all talked less and listened more