Quote:
Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler
The meritocracy is self-perpetuating in that professionals marry other professionals and their kids become professionals and marry other professionals, and so on. But if you take 2 children of lawyers (for example) my rule applies. I am not saying take a kid from a trailer park vs a kid from Mount Royal.
However, being willing to take a risk is the big thing. There are many smart and hard working people who are scared to step out of the box. If you are an employee, even as a professional, you are not going to become rich - you will be well to do, but not "rich". You have to start a business (can be a professional business), and then risk the gains of that in other ventures, and so on. Taking a risk is the big deal.
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It's easier to take risks if you have a safety net. Purely anecdotal, but my most entrepreneurial friends are also the ones that came from wealthier families. They can afford to take risks, because they won't be in line at the soup kitchen if their business fails. They can also afford - through parental help - to wait out the typical phase of unprofitability that usually accompanies the start up of a business.
If your parents buy you your car, put a downpayment on a house for you, give you a graduation present of money, pay for your university, etc., you are going to be in a way better position to start a business and "take a risk".
These are the same friends that completely inflate their own awesomeness in how they achieved success so early, too. I do believe we're all like that, though. I think there is more clarity looking up at the advantages others had over you than looking down at the disadvantages of those "beneath" you.