"And I'm not just talking about random life events, like winning the lottery, I'm thinking about luck in the broader sense of the circumstances into which each of us is born. It took me a while to realise that my journey through life has been eased by several tailwinds. I have had the incredible luck of being born in the UK, in a peaceful period of history."
"Imagine that you came into this world facing barriers to your progress at every stage. Your parents unemployed, or needing care from you, or working ridiculous hours in insecure jobs. Your neighbourhood wracked by deprivation, despair, pollution and crime, with precious few opportunities to move up or out. Your plans to buy a house or start a business impossible because of lack of capital, or access to it. Would I have displayed the brilliance and the sheer grit needed to overcome those barriers?"
Many people underestimate how much luck influences their lives beyond random events; birthplace, historical timing, health, upbringing, and exclusive education create tailwinds. Access to opportunities, freedom to start businesses, and market demand for specific talents further enable wealth. Conversely, being born into poverty, family obligations, insecure parental employment, deprived neighborhoods, and lack of capital create persistent barriers. Such structural and circumstantial factors can make upward mobility extremely difficult, raising doubt that individual brilliance and grit alone can overcome systemic disadvantages.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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