I wrote 300 words on the meaning of life, but it was so tedious I fell asleep before the end. I'd agree that continual improvement is a worthy pursuit, and if we all engaged ourselves with that, we'd have a world full of wonderful people. The privilege thing makes me spit though.
Why does it make you spit?
Jaysus. Where do I start? I could write a 300 word essay...but I'll spare you. It's my contention that no matter how privileged or unprivileged you are, it's character, effort and responsibility that determine failure or success. Keeping a sort of scoreboard only encourages lazy bastards to attribute their penchant for sitting on the couch eating cake, entirely to the poor start they had in life.
Besides, how do you compare like with like when we're all a mix of advantages, disadvantages, choices, and luck? Poppycock, say I. Down with that sort of thing!
Yeah no need for an essay, you bring the point across. I agree with you that using lack of privilege as an excuse to not do anything is stupid. Using privilege or lack of as an excuse for anything is stupid.
But privilege does exist. I can't expect the same kind of metaphysical progress from someone who has been fighting to survive all their life as I would from someone who had a good childhood, a good education and all around all the material necessities fulfilled.
That's where we differ. I would!
Fair enough :-D