Responding to "The American Myth"

The whole topic of the Great American Dream is an intimidating one because each of us has been surrounded by it throughout our entire lives, and Im not sure we can know how deeply it has effected us. I'd like to say that I dont buy into pluck (hard work will guarantee you success/comfort) or luck (being born into wealth is the only way you can get wealthy) in entirity. However, a certain balance of these can bring some comfort. Each of us wants to have some kind of control over where they are going in life and how successful theyll be, so pluck puts the ball in our court, and lets us earn something for ourselves. Luck is like predestination: youll never know if you were meant for the amount of money you have, so its not worth selling your soul to get it.