So, You Think You’re Self-Made?

You’re more dependent on others than you realize.

Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash

When it comes to how money and wealth are distributed in society, we’re asked to accept that it all depends on our usefulness. If we can create things that other people want, money and wealth will naturally flow into our pockets.

So what if the top 1% own nearly 30% of all the wealth in the United States?

So what if the top 20% own nearly 80% of all the wealth?

So what if the proportion of all wealth owned by the middle class has been steadily declining since 1995?

This is just the way the world works, right? If you’re a productive member of society, the market rewards you. And if you’re not, well, tough.

In North America, we have this unusual tendency to view ourselves as islands. We believe that the success we achieve is solely determined by our own ingenuity, passion, and grit, and that we, therefore, reap what we sow.

We use expressions like “self-made” to describe those we think are like forces of nature — nothing could have stopped them from achieving greatness.

But, can anyone really “make it” alone?

Competition first requires cooperation