I used to have a great contempt for those who take pride in being poor and pathetic. Those who praise the victims, and damn the strong. I used to also feel this way, but I feel like it could never be more wrong. They say everyone deserves a fair share, when the reality is we all have to earn our fair share. I think it all goes without saying that some of us are dealt shitty hands and others get really great cards, but the truth I believe is that it goes how we play them.

But then I got sucked into the idea that playing cards right, and being successful despite the circumstances was the only right answer. But I find lately that this is only a very skewed version of the truth. Because success often leads to unearned and poorly-founded beliefs, that wealth is success and success is wealth. Wealth is often attributed to Elitism, the belief that anything of higher status is better than anything else. But “status” is a false sense of value that’s attributed to where something is and nothow it got there.

The cause of something is the important thing to remember, not the effect. Wealth is not the thing of concern, it’sability, whichcanbe the cause of wealth, but is not always. It’s truly ability that needs to garnish ones respect.

But then we must remember the other side as well: ability without execution and utility is wasted effort, and that person turns into a victim, a unique and capable individual who was not *given* the opportunity to prove it, but this is not a thing to praise. No one gives you a chance, you have to take chances.

Play the cards your dealt in the best way you know how, but only those who make risky moves will ever see themselves beat the odds.