is success geographic?

Question

I lived in small towns my whole life, 3K people or less, and moved around a lot which made it hard to make any real connections. Does anyone else think that where you're raised is one of the hardest obstacles in trying to succeed later in life?

Answer 1

Success is partly geographic at a level of communities and cultures (best illustration I've seen: "Guns, Germs and Steel" [both a book and a DVD set now]) and at an individual level, also partly geographic depending on where you WANT to succeed. Seriously, being raised in proximity to resources useful for developing certain skills and experience levels is an advantage no matter how you slice it, because no matter what you do, you're always going to end up in a SPECIFIC job or social situation.

That said, the real question here seems to be concealed in your other questions. You talk about moving around a lot and not making any real connections. That too can be either a benefit or a detriment to a particular path in life depending on what that path is. Not having roots is a good thing for, say, a rock musician likely to spend 30-50 weeks a year sleeping in beds they don't own...but a real obstacle for, say, a parish preacher, whose "success" such as it is depends to a large degree on how easily and deeply he/she can establish personal relationships.

In terms of overall wellbeing, not making real connections is a handicap for sure. We're social creatures...the establishment of community relationships and attachments to social groups seems almost certain to be hard-wired into us, meaning that if you live without making these attachments, you're also hard-wired to suffer in some way. (The suffering may be a means of motivating us to make these attachments, which are highly beneficial to our security at a tribal level.) Having strong FAMILY attachments in the absence of community attachments is likely to reduce the level of handicap, but as a rule - and there are plenty of exceptions to the rule - absence of close personal connections at a family OR community level is going to significantly impact on your overall wellbeing at any time in your life.

Does this shoe fit you? I can't tell from the limited information you provide here. I can only tell you that HOW you're raised is in most cases (again...the rule, with plenty of exceptions) far more important to your eventual success or failure in a given situation than WHERE you're raised.

Answer 2

I don't think where you're raised is the issue, I think it's HOW you're raised that's the issue.

I grew up in center city Pittsburgh, right on the fringe of drug dealers, ganbanging, prostitutes, and shootings....but I was very well educated and positively reinforced by my parents every step along the way.

I was enrolled in the study of foreign languages, foreign customs, combat arts and business as a kid....and it's been the format for my getting by ever since.

Now, I own a Business Development firm...and making fantastic money.

So, the answer to this is : life gives lemons sometimes....it's up to you whether you let negative stuff be your influence or you get over yourself and get on with it.

There's a quote from John Maxwell I have written on my bathroom mirror that I think may be of a help to you :

"You have many choices in life to make, but the most important choice to make...is you."

Answer 3

People in America, will tend to be richer than people in East Timor.
Success is a relative term, if you live in a geographic location with 10 people, then you should be measuring your success against them, and not agaisnt the world.

Answer 4

No I do not believe it is geographic, there are successful people in all kinds of areas. It depends on yourself to succeed and your ability to take what you know and have and turn it into something regardless of where you live

Answer 5

Location certainly does influence the resources and opportunity available to its residents. Not latitude and longitude per se, but success is shaped by culture, and culture is shaped by region.