A friend of mine once raised the idea that, really, everyone is born with the potential to be smart as fuck. It all depends on how each person develops that potential. So you could be from the ghetto and if you didn't fuck around you could end up being a brain surgeon. Or, on the other hand, there are some smart ass ghetto kids who get rich on the black market cuz they were the ones who decided to devote the attention to learning how to play the game well. On the other end of the spectrum, rich kids have a better chance of succeeding, according to the status quo standard of measurement, cuz their families are more capable and willing to foster the kind of environment that propels the kids through, and raises them to the top of, the traditional cycle of immersion into society. So, the more wealthy your parents, the more likely you'll be to proceed along a path that brings you into contact with the ivy-league elite. And so of course at some point in the stage you develop the confidence to fit into any kind of situation and feel good about your belief system, regardless of whether it's in accord with that of your present company. You're more likely to be a confident individual, that is, and handle well whatever situation you find yourself occupying, and less likely to let situations govern you.

I guess confidence, then, is the key thing. And success doesn't necessarily mean getting rich. It could just mean being the coolest "average joe" of whatever societal level you occupy. It's more a question of how well you facilitate yourself through your environment.

So I guess my questions are: How much do you buy the idea that everyone is born with the same potential to be smart/cool? Are people not really born possessing natural talent? To what extent is what seems to be natural talent merely the product of a good environment? What role does attractiveness play?

Finally, Is this too democratic an idea to be real? I mean, it's essentially the same as saying that everyone really is created equal.