Thanksgiving
By Wade Gibson, Guest Writer
Issue date: 12/1/09 Section: Perspectives
Now is the season of giving thanks, of reflecting on our exceptionally good fortune. Despite the economic downturn, I think few of us would agree to a lottery that placed us somewhere at random among the world's seven billion inhabitants. The Ivy League is spectacular place to be. Although we all have complaints, they pale in comparison to most people's life experiences.
I remember my first Thanksgiving at Princeton; late fall freshman year was one of the most transformative periods of my life. My neighbor had grown up tending sheep and sleeping in a tent; his background could have scarcely differed more from my prep-school upbringing. Our conversations-and those I had with other classmates-changed how I viewed my place in the world. I recall trying to determine how fortunate, percentile-wise, I had been, and the results shocked me. If you run through these (very rough) calculations for yourself, you might just feel the same way.
First, I was born well off. My family was somewhere around the top 1% of Americans (corresponding to an annual income of about $400,000 today). Bearing in mind our Nation's great wealth, to get a rough sense of my placement among all the world's people, you would consider that only about 1 in 10 enjoy American-style living standards. So, let's say I was born, wealth-wise, 1 in 1,000.
Second, I was born smart. In comparison to my similarly privileged peers, I sat somewhere in the top 5% intelligence-wise. So let's say I was born, considering both wealth and intelligence, 1 in 20,000.
Third, I was born to a wonderful family that sent me to a fabulous school and gave me all the love and support I could ever need, and then some. Factoring in this environment, I began life, let's say, 1 in 100,000.
Of course, you can argue that wealth, intelligence, and upbringing are not perfect predictors of success, but I can add in other factors, and at any rate, it wouldn't change the basic fact that I-and probably you-was born incredibly fortunate. And, I did not do a thing for it other than arrive, two weeks late, by C-section, into the world.
I will admit, I've achieved a good deal, even considering my starting point-Yale is the Nation's best law school, and the applicant pool from which it draws a lucky few is way above average. I hope that I continue achieving throughout my life, but I know my efforts will never have as much impact as my starting point. I will never be 1 in 100,000 out of 1 in 100,000-that would be 1 in 10 billion, and currently there are not that many people on earth.
When you and I ask ourselves how we've made it so far in life, much owes to our efforts, but the vast majority, for most of us, owes to where we began. We were born in the top 99.9% or 99.99% and we have reached the top 99.999%, but what is the greater story: that we improved by one order of magnitude, or that we started three or four orders above average? All I am saying is that we should take a minute to digest just how fortunate we are. We have won the lottery: what shall we do with the winnings?
A former Congressional staffer and management consultant, Wade Gibson is a student at Yale Law School.
I remember my first Thanksgiving at Princeton; late fall freshman year was one of the most transformative periods of my life. My neighbor had grown up tending sheep and sleeping in a tent; his background could have scarcely differed more from my prep-school upbringing. Our conversations-and those I had with other classmates-changed how I viewed my place in the world. I recall trying to determine how fortunate, percentile-wise, I had been, and the results shocked me. If you run through these (very rough) calculations for yourself, you might just feel the same way.
First, I was born well off. My family was somewhere around the top 1% of Americans (corresponding to an annual income of about $400,000 today). Bearing in mind our Nation's great wealth, to get a rough sense of my placement among all the world's people, you would consider that only about 1 in 10 enjoy American-style living standards. So, let's say I was born, wealth-wise, 1 in 1,000.
Second, I was born smart. In comparison to my similarly privileged peers, I sat somewhere in the top 5% intelligence-wise. So let's say I was born, considering both wealth and intelligence, 1 in 20,000.
Third, I was born to a wonderful family that sent me to a fabulous school and gave me all the love and support I could ever need, and then some. Factoring in this environment, I began life, let's say, 1 in 100,000.
Of course, you can argue that wealth, intelligence, and upbringing are not perfect predictors of success, but I can add in other factors, and at any rate, it wouldn't change the basic fact that I-and probably you-was born incredibly fortunate. And, I did not do a thing for it other than arrive, two weeks late, by C-section, into the world.
I will admit, I've achieved a good deal, even considering my starting point-Yale is the Nation's best law school, and the applicant pool from which it draws a lucky few is way above average. I hope that I continue achieving throughout my life, but I know my efforts will never have as much impact as my starting point. I will never be 1 in 100,000 out of 1 in 100,000-that would be 1 in 10 billion, and currently there are not that many people on earth.
When you and I ask ourselves how we've made it so far in life, much owes to our efforts, but the vast majority, for most of us, owes to where we began. We were born in the top 99.9% or 99.99% and we have reached the top 99.999%, but what is the greater story: that we improved by one order of magnitude, or that we started three or four orders above average? All I am saying is that we should take a minute to digest just how fortunate we are. We have won the lottery: what shall we do with the winnings?
A former Congressional staffer and management consultant, Wade Gibson is a student at Yale Law School.
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