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Hard Work Does Not Equal Success
“Success is always a matter of some luck and timing.” — Kathleen Kennedy
A 2014 study by the Pew Research Center found that 73% of Americans believe that, on a scale of 1 to 10, hard work is a “10” when it comes to success — or getting ahead in life.
Furthermore, when asked about whether success is determined by outside forces — like your financial upbringing— 57% of Americans say that financial independence is not determined by outside forces.
As optimistic as this belief might be, realistically, success is more complicated than your work ethic.
America, the land of opportunity (but not equal opportunity)
The American culture tries to desperately instill the idea that success is an equal opportunity available to everyone — that the rich and successful are all people who earned their wealth through hard work.
In which case, the impoverished, struggling, unsuccessful people would be responsible for not overcoming their terrible circumstances. Had they only worked a little harder, gotten better grades in school, and tried to make something of themselves, they would’ve been prosperous — right? (Wrong.)
