The communists like to make a big thing about "wealth inequality".
The thing is, there is a great deal of economic mobility in the United States. Just because you are poor now does not mean that you are destined to remain poor. Just because you are won a $20 million lottery doesn't mean you will still be a millionaire five years from now.
Jeffery Jorgensen was born to a 17 year-old high school student in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His father was 19 years old and had a drinking problem. His mother filed for divorce when Jeffery was 17 months old. Knowing just those facts, your standard-issue communist would confidently predict that Jeffery was fated, by his class, to die of cirrhosis in his mid-thirties.
Today, Jeffery Jorgensen is more widely known as Jeff Bezos* who is the founder of Amazon and is fairly wealthy. Yeah, Bezos got some breaks along the way. A lot of people did.
J.D. Vance** is another guy who you would not have picked out of his high school graduating class as a guy who was going to be notable. His trajectory involved being placed in many "uncomfortable" situations. He sought wise-counsel and was told, "Since you are stuck in the situation: Own it. Master it." J.D. Vance learned to be comfortable with discomfort.
Excuses don't add a single potato to the soup. If you start accepting the excuses that you want to make for yourself, then you WILL get trapped by "your class". If you manage to acquire a familiarity with or "comfort" with change and the discomfort it brings, then you will probably have the presence-of-mind to land on your feet more often than the others.
*Full Disclosure: Jeff Bezos does not count me among his closest, personal friends.
**Full Disclosure: J.D. Vance, even though he is a charming fellow, would probably not admit to my being within his inner circle of advisors.
That's true Joe. There are a FEW people that climb up out of the hole and even exceed the gains made by people that were born to the elite. But they are rare. Few, very few. Most people remain in the level they were born and raised in. Or often fall lower. I tell young people " don't marry someone that you think will excel above where they were born and raised. Knowing that persons parents will almost certainly show you what you will be married to in 20 years. " ---ken
ReplyDeleteThe tree grows as the twig is bent.
DeleteAnother dynamic is that our net-worth tends to grow through our productive years and slowly (we hope) diminish as we live on the wealth we put aside. Most of us are "poor" when we are 20. We might have a lot of income when we are 40 but the expenses are high if we are raising a family. Many of us are "comfortable" when we are sixty. Many of us are back to lower-means in our eighties but our wants are lower, too.
"The tree grows as the twig is bent". That is a really great analogy I need to remember.---ken
DeleteJoe I'm stealing this line:
DeleteExcuses don't add a single potato to the soup.
So many applications.
The phrase "as the twig is bent, so grows the tree" is often interpreted in the context of Proverbs 22:6, which states that "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it."
Good families tend to have good performing children. Tend, as sociality influences are often a problem.
The most successful youngsters I know, grew up in their family business and continued it. Most of our local linemen are older men and their replacements are mostly their kids. Same with other local tradesmen I know.
Sadly, so many want a clean hands job.
You are who you choose to be and your life is what you choose to make of it. Random operative factors (luck) has an influence occasionally but the ultimate outcome is determined by your choices and your efforts. It's always been this way. People who make poor choices simple refuse to accept this fact.
ReplyDeleteVance I knew about. Bezos I did not. Thanks for the reminder that we can make much of our own fate, ERJ.
ReplyDeleteTrue about the wealthy not remaining so.
ReplyDeleteIt is a curse to win the lottery in many cases.
I'm a little surprised Joe you didn't talk about successful people Live BELOW their means and often put the "extra to work".
ReplyDeleteNot just the stock market but getting extra training in their career path, paying off bills and otherwise keeping an emergency fund well filled.
Working with Nurses at the hospital I am often amazed how I hear them complaining about serious financial emergencies over an auto repair or replacing a water heater.
Not enough money set aside for such problems, but plenty for a new car and Starbucks-Door dash.
When I was working the local food bank (recently closed due to lack of support) I was amazed how many young folks arrived in new cars, holding Starbucks and knowing NOTHING about cooking.
I used to teach basic cooking at the food bank and basic shopping. A few ongoing successes thusly, I get Christmas cards from them now and then.
Basic LIFE SKILLS, like what you and I got from High School Shop and Home Ech and Parents.
Kids today have NO real life skills... sigh
ReplyDelete