Potential

[ckj846]

I was having a conversation with a friend and the question of potential came up. My friend was basically saying that people have the potential to be whatever they want to be as long as they put their minds to it. So, in theory, he was saying that anyone could be famous, anyone could be president, it all mattered on the factor of determination. I, of course, disagreed just because it sounds completely absurd and somewhat retarded. But then I got thinking (while I was supposed to be reading a book for school >.<) that it might actually have some truth in it. For example, people who are "poor' usually have that mentality that "I'm stuck in a gut, I can't get out" and then they make excuses as to why they are poor. "I was born into a poor family, blah blah blah I'm not smart, I fail in school, I'll never get a job." The thing is, every person has the potential to do well in school and thus, everyone has the potential to go to great colleges and get jobs that pay well, thus being not poor. This can really go on forever and my friend and I were at it for hours just because we totally disagreed.

Another thing that I brought up was that life in general isn't fair so how can everyone have a fair chance at everything. My friend said that everyone still has potential to be something great and everyone is given a shot at life. I actually was starting to agree because even if someone is born with a disadvantage (disability, poorer family, abusive family) there seems to always be a way to overcome that problem (surgery, forming better habits, determination, therapy) and it just seemed to go in an endless loophole for me. Anyone else have opinions about this? I know it does sound corny with the whole WE LIVE IN AMERICA, THE LAND OF OPPURTUNITY and all that stuff I think everyone grew up with, but do you think it might actually have some truth in it?
O_o