Tuesday, February 27, 2007

RUBEN NAVARRETTE Says Envy, Class Jealousy Are Wrong

Click here to read the article

He says some people earn more than others because:

"Much of it is tied to individuals' decisions about how much education they're going to pursue, and how hard they're going to pursue it. Most obstacles people face are self-imposed and self-designed. We can't say that enough, especially at a time when too many Americans blame others for their troubles, failings and shortcomings."

and

"Whether movie stars, professional athletes or television and radio personalities, a simple formula decides someone's worth: It's what someone else is willing to pay them. I bet that makes sense to most people. But for others, there is an emotion that always seems to get in the way. It's class envy - the sense that it's simply not fair that some earn in an hour what it takes others to earn in a month. It doesn't help that plenty of politicians and pundits shamelessly try to cultivate that resentment and use it for their own purposes."
Is Navarrette right?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree with Navarrette, you go as far in life as your own decisions let you go. Of course there are always exceptions for things such as health problems that may impede ones ability to learn and work, but for the most part it is totally up to you.

As far as education goes, Texas is a great state to find affordable higher education. Look at how cheap SAC and UTSA are compared to other city and state colleges and universities around the nation. We have such a great deal, that the most expense part of our higher education is the actual time spent in our studies. (opportunity costs)

Once formal education is completed, this is where personal decisions have even a larger impact on how much you will make, and how high up in the corporate world you go. Each step up requires a trade off of your time and personal life. Are you willing to move to a new state or country to get experience? Are you willing to start by doing the jobs that no one else wants to do in order to learn and to be recognized? The list of trade offs goes on and on.