Not all hardworking and talented people become successful, but all successful people are talented and hardworking. Some people are born with better chances than others, but we should strive to make a society where at least most people are born with a good chance.
Suppose someone is average and lazy. They're practically guaranteed to live a life of coasting by from job to job, living paycheck to paycheck, and struggling to get by in America these days. That is not success by my measure.
What if that someone is average and lazy in their work to devote the rest of their time to their family? What if they raise a bunch of kids that love their parents, care about each other and the world and want to make it better? Would that be success?
What if they were molested and use drugs to cope, but live their entire life without molesting anyone else? Would that be success?
What if they have serious depression and they check out by playing video games, but they don't kill themselves? Would that be success?
Holding up a few spectacular achievements as the paragon of human experience is fucking stupid.
I genuinely think really rich (and smart) people do it to try to salve their guilt and signal for others.
Just want to say that I agree with everything you've posted in this thread, and it's always shocking to me that people still believe the prosperity gospel in 2021.
Ahh so "How to Work Hard" is really "How to Work Hard for the Privileged and Unsuffering."
I was confused as there was no mention of privilege, no disclaimer, no recognition of his revelation as an innate human need as fundamental as those for connection or play.
Graham figured out work folks, pack it in. Maslow, step aside.
Well the most important factor of economic mobility has historically been women marrying up. So you might be on to something - it seems doubtful that wives who were able to marry up work that much harder than other wives.
> The major correlates with high economic mobility Chetty identifies are racial segregation, income inequality, school quality, family structure and social capital.
