Quote:
Originally posted by punkworld
Opportunity consists of more than just physical freedom. If, like you say, people won't even try if their environment tells them they have no chance, society is to blame if those people don't achieve much, rather than those people themselves.
An example:
If a child grows up getting told by his parents every day that he's a worthless piece of shit and that he will never amount to anything, and you accept that such things do in fact have an influence on how people behave in society, that child has less opportunity than other children.
Physically, people in the 19th century had just as much opportunity of creating a microwave as the people of today. However, they lacked the proper (scientific) beliefs to create one. (knowledge is actually a belief system, combining an extensive set of beliefs about the world)
Likewise, if someone grows up without the proper (personal) beliefs to achieve things, he may have the physical opportunity, but his chances of achievement are still extremely slim.
|
Did you see Dumb and Dumber? When Jim Carey asks "So what are the chances of a girl like you and a guy like me..."
She says "1 ina million".
his response?
"So you're saying there's a chance. YES!"
There is plenty of encouragement out there, I got none of mine from home. All my encouragement came from looking at the world and asking myself, "What is stopping me from getting that?" Maybe I am the exception to the rule, but I don't think I am that special. Everyone has choices, and nobody but the individual is responsible for their choices but them. Period.