What does American isolationism look like?

[neurosis]

You posted how hard you had it . So did James.

Arrogant??

Don't Play the Victim.

I'm not a braggart.

And for fucks sakes.. don't put you and I in the same pool.  lol.

[Incogneeto]

I'm not a braggart.

I never said you were.

And I believe your struggle.

Hell , I've have seen it too.

The problem with me and you .?

Is we know how much the soul can take.

You step on one side to commiserate, and I step on the other to Abolish.

[neurosis]

Arrogant??

Don't Play the Victim.

We all Make our own Choices.

You , Me and every other Victim.

Clarify what you mean by playing the victim?

[Incogneeto]

Clarify what you mean by playing the victim?

Should I Be Specific??

[neurosis]

Should I Be Specific??

Be very fucking specific

[neurosis]

Should I Be Specific??

You're such a nut hugging little bitch.. lol. 

[Incogneeto]

You're such a nut hugging little bitch.. lol. 

I am astounded at your Response.

Maybe you should ask James.

It's Funny How soo many of Us Have soo Much in common.

But seem soo far apart.

Thanks to you for making this Forum.

It brings us together.

[neurosis]

I'm kinda tired of your veiled dissonance.  You're just a piece of fuckin shit.

[Brian]

My 2 cents here, for whatever it's worth....I think what most of us forget, most of the time, is that we're not all "wired" the same way (duh! ). By "wired" I mean, how do we view the world and our role in it. Some folks just naturally seem to view this place as rife with opportunities just waiting to be developed, others seem to feel as though they're under near-constant stress and anxiety, and are just trying to stay out of harm's way.

A good friend started his shop about 30 years ago, initially with a partner. It was soon discovered that his partner handled stress much more poorly than my friend...when shit hit the fan, partner would head home with a migraine while friend would pour on the coals, tank up on coffee and work till 2 or 3 AM. Both of these guys were very capable machinists, but differed in their ability to handle the inevitable setbacks running a fledgling business. The partnership ended after a couple of years as I recall, and over time my friend built himself a nice business, while his former partner mostly struggled in business and life.

While there are always exceptions, most of the folks I know who have made a good go of it have one thing in common-exceptional grit (I'm grasping for a better word, but this comes closest to what I'm getting at). Many of these people are fairly smart as well, but they're not world-beaters in that department as far as I can see. I have known several folks who really outclass most folks, but sadly have not seemed to have a leg up on the rest of us....it's like they didn't have to work too hard as kids, as their raw intelligence carried them along, but perhaps as a result never quite learned how to really roll up their sleeves and apply themselves when something didn't come easily at first!

I feel like too many folks make the mistake of believing in the concept of the "overnight success," when the reality is that most of these have been in the works for 10 or 20 years....its like an iceberg-you only see the portion of it that's above the waterline!

[CNCAppsJames]

I'm kinda tired of your veiled dissonance.  You're just a piece of fuckin shit.

Aaaaaaaand here comes the drunk post.

[neurosis]

Aaaaaaaand here comes the drunk post.

lol.. Sorry James.  I'm kinda tired of Incogs Eddie Haskell pretend to be nice while insulting you bullshit. It was a long time coming and had nothing to do with you.

Not to take away from anything you've accomoplished. I don't feel like this is a conversation that needs a resume. 

[Newbeeee™]

All this say's about you is how arrogant you are.

James.. for fucks sakes. I grew up with people who could barley tie their shoes.  If I held that against them would you call me an ass hole?


I don't disagree. If you're capable, and you let it slip away, then you wasted your life. If you look down on people who aren't as capable, then you're just an arrogant ass hole.

LoL
No it doesn't. The point is Murrica really is the land of opportunity.
But YOU have to be ready to take it....

[neurosis]

I feel like too many folks make the mistake of believing in the concept of the "overnight success," when the reality is that most of these have been in the works for 10 or 20 years....its like an iceberg-you only see the portion of it that's above the waterline!

Life is a set of circumstances and a lot of times, luck. I lived with probably 10 different families in 5 different States before I was 16. If I hadn't landed where I did, and met the people that I met, I would more than likely have followed in my fathers footsteps. 

I started working in a machine shop at 16 sweeping floors. The shop foremen saw something in me, took me under his wing, and turned me in to a machinist.  That could have played out a lot different. If I had got a job working at taco time, my life would have went a different direction. I could be selling drugs today and working at a muffler shop. And no incog, this isn't "playing a victim". It's an acknowledgement that even though I worked hard to get where I am, there was also a lot of luck involved. Being at the right place at the right time. Meeting the right people. Having a boss that was willing to spend the time to teach me.

We all don't grow up in perfect families, go to good schools, and have the perfect circumstances that lead us to prosperity. I think that everyone looks at life through their own lense and then judge people based on their own personal experience. I try really hard not to do that.

As usual, good post, Brian.   

[Del.]

" Life is under no obligation to give us what we expect. We accept what we have and are thankful it's not any worse."  Margaret Mitchell

[Brian]

We all don't grow up in perfect families, go to good schools, and have the perfect circumstances that lead us to prosperity. I think that everyone looks at life through their own lense and then judge people based on their own personal experience. I try really hard not to do that.

After I posted last night I realized there was still much that I'd left unsaid, and I think this post does a great job of capturing that!

I used to think that what it really takes to make a go of it was smarts with a good-sized helping of hard work, but as I've gotten older I'm not as sure of that. Perhaps fundamental to all of it is the belief that you can, through your own efforts, improve your circumstances (however you define "circumstances"-I don't think it's limited solely to lack of $ for example. There are so many ways to be "poor"). I suspect that the luckier among us grow up in an environment where this attitude or worldview is ever present; we don't necessarily have to cultivate this, it's just assumed that we can make things happen by ourselves. Others might grow up in an environment where "learned helplessness" is sort of the norm, and end up internalizing this without really realizing it.

I bet many of us aren't really aware of this stuff in our own lives; we just kinda boot up in the morning with our usual worldview and go about our lives, but I imagine that we all leave something on the table so to speak-we can all improve somehow, but we've gotta believe that we're capable of it.