Hot or mild take, but I strongly dislike the term “self-made.” Not because I don’t believe in hard work or perseverance but because the phrase suggests something that is untrue. It implies that people achieve success entirely on their own, and I don’t believe that’s the case.
No matter how hard you’ve worked, no matter how many sacrifices you’ve made, or how many nights you’ve stayed up grinding, there’s been some kind of support along the way. Maybe it wasn’t financial. Maybe it wasn’t obvious. But help can show up in a hundred subtle ways: the area where you were born, the education you had access to, the connections available through your community, the passport you hold, the color of your skin, your family’s wealth bracket, your physical ability, your mental health, or even just a friend who believed in you when you couldn’t believe in yourself.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Being born in America, for example, is a massive advantage. Access to infrastruct…
