I read a recent post that stated, “And in order to pursue happiness, everyone needs to be given a fair chance to start on the same level.” I get the theory that is being proposed there, and even agree with it to an extent from a “macro” perspective. But on a “micro” perspective I completely disagree, as evidenced by my actions. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that my daughter and future children (as well as all their descendants) have every advantage possible in order to make their pursuit of happiness easier. I freely admit that I was born into a family / country / race / gender / era that provided me with far more opportunities than many others have had. And while I recognize that who I am and what I have achieved is largely due to my own hard work, I also understand that those born under different circumstances would have to work a lot harder to achieve what I have.
But being “privileged” (for lack of a better word) and recognizing that inequality exists in the world does not mean that I don’t want to confer even more advantages upon my heritage. Sure, it would be great if everyone had an equal start, but it's not going to happen. And rather than waste time trying to level the playing field, I'm going to invest primarily in myself and my family, with the assumption that everyone else will too.
I feel this is what democracy and capitalism are all about—everyone is able to pursue their own self-interests.
But being “privileged” (for lack of a better word) and recognizing that inequality exists in the world does not mean that I don’t want to confer even more advantages upon my heritage. Sure, it would be great if everyone had an equal start, but it's not going to happen. And rather than waste time trying to level the playing field, I'm going to invest primarily in myself and my family, with the assumption that everyone else will too.
I feel this is what democracy and capitalism are all about—everyone is able to pursue their own self-interests.