That hard work would get you where you want to be?
That getting a college degree would open up a world of possibilities?
That spending endless nights studying and sacrificing your social life and sanity to earn a bunch of A's and a high GPA would all be worth it someday?
That being booksmart meant that you would someday “be the boss” of all of the smarmy rich kids who never apply themselves?
That living within your means and not wasting your money would lead to financial success?
Yeah.
I'm 25 years old, I've been working for 10 years, I got straight A's for 10 straight years in high school and college, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from a great university with a solid degree…and I'm a full-time DoorDasher who is one blown tire away from total financial ruin. Meanwhile, those smarmy rich kids all have great careers and no financial trouble to speak of because surprise, having well-connected parents, a ton of spare time and extra money to go to go to networking events and kiss asses because your parents took care of you during your college years and spared you from having to spend all of your time working at a soul-crushing retail job to stay alive, a car that your parents bought you that doesn't break down every other day and cost you every penny you manage to save, no student loan debt to speak of upon graduation, and an awful lot of financial help from your parents after college means that you are more than likely going to do just fine in modern America regardless of how little you actually try. Meanwhile, if your early life is anything like mine, the answer to the question of whether or not you will actually get anywhere after spending years and years and years stretching yourself to the max and doing the absolute best you can in school and in work…is more than likely “no” unless you're lucky.
Nepotism and money talk while everything else is tossed aside. Intelligence, hard work, dedication…all of these things rarely matter unless luck enters the equation. Maybe it has always been this way. I don't know. All I know is that this country is a fucking nightmare, the job market is a fucking joke, wages don't even attempt to keep up with the price of fucking living, and that I'm sick of fucking trying.
Rant over.
Edit: My girlfriend is one of the rare few whose talent and intelligence got her where she wanted to be and I'm super-proud of her and happy for her. People took notice and gave her the opportunities she deserved. That's unfortunately an extremely rare story today.