Reply to Family of Four on 90k - An Upper Middle Class Existence

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It is a common trait of unsuccessful people to ascribe the success of others to luck.
 [/quote]

This TED talk seems particularly relevant to this discussion. Attributing others success to luck is a trait of the unsuccessful? Where did you make that up from? I attribute a majority of my own success to the numerous ways I've been lucky in life.

http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_piff_does_money_make_you_mean/transcript?language=en[/quote]

Just read this transcript and wow, I find this to be a fascinating topic.  I tend to agree more with the findings that those who are given advantages in life tend to downplay the effect this has had on their success.  And I say this as someone whose parents paid for college and a good chunk of law school.  Of course I was hardworking, made good grades, stayed out of trouble, managed to get a sizable merit-based scholarship to a top tier law school, etc., but I would never try to attribute everything I have achieved solely to my own grit and determination.

There is something to be said for having an intact family that pushes the importance of education and can help pay for schooling.  I have also been blessed with good health and parents who can fund their own retirement.  I think life is a mix of opportunity and hard work.

In some way though, I feel I have been disadvantaged.  When I began applying to law school in 2005, it was a great investment still.  By the time
I graduated in 2009, the legal market had collapsed.  This has had at least some impact on my earning potential so far.  nd because I was in school through my mid-20s, I didn't have the opportunity to buy until closer to my late 20s.  I'm now pregnant with my first at 30 and don't want to gamble with a bad school district in a high crime area like OP did (I don't think taking chances on safety and schools classifies one as upper middle class).  And I married someone with student loans, which is something I couldn't exactly plan for years ago.

My point is that OP took some risks that paid off, has been blessed with no loans, etc.  So far things have been working out in her favor, but I think one of the best sayings to remember is "But by the Grace of God there go I."  All it takes is one cancer diagnosis, one job loss, a few expensive rounds of IVF, a flooded basement not covered by insurance, or having been born into poverty that could change it all.[/quote]

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