There's a myth that lies at the very center of American society. A simple ideology taught to us from the very beginning. Our individualist culture tells us that two things determine our success -- will and intelligence.
We've all heard it said many times: You can achieve anything you want if you work hard. Just think about the moral to that perennial best-seller "The Little Engine that Could," "If at first you don't succeed ..." I'm sure you know the rest. Our culture tells us that where there's a will there's a way and that's all that's required. Well, just that and God-given intelligence. You're a student at UNC, you've been accepted to law school, you're going to have a great future, and it's all because you're smart as hell and a hard worker too. It's survival of the fittest. Darwin told us so, and that's just the way it is.
In case you didn't know, there's a problem here. This "cream rises to the top" mentality does little else than serve as filler for motivational speeches and overused clich
