Comment by gadders

I think you do yourself a disservice. Luck always plays a part but for this piece:

>> So the people I was surrounded by were affluent, crime was low, the people I interacted with were not plagued by social issues and that became my new frame of reference for what a normal life is, and what people aspire to achieve.

You can be that new frame of reference for people from less fortunate backgrounds. "I was once like you, but by luck I got moved to an affluent area and this is what I learnt..."

Maybe in 10 years time somebody will be telling their colleagues how lucky they were to hear your story :-)

And yes, IQ is a factor as well, but not everyone can be a brain surgeon or a CEO but a lot of people can aim a bit higher and raise their expectations for what "people like them" can achieve.

I started a group at my employer to help people from lower socio-economic backgrounds get into my industry, and it has honestly been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. My upbringing wasn't as disordered as yours, but I grew up on state benefits and was the first person in my family to go to university.