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Comment by duncan-donuts | Hacker News Reader

We’re happy for you. You’ve made a lot of good decisions and probably had a lot of luck/help. We’re truly happy for you. I also want to take the opportunity to tell you that you need to check your privilege.

I’m also not even sure what you’re complaining about. It’s really easy for me to wonder, “how people do it” when I’m buried in medical bills and my spouse’s student loans. Do other not have these same things? Do people have family money or help that isn’t obvious and why can’t I have those things?

It’s kind of unbelievable to see the top comment is someone complaining about how this is a thing when they literally have no way to see how it could be.

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Because when I moved to America at 16 and had nothing, and was homeless so I could pay for college, I didn't give care about how I looked relative to others. And if I spent my money impulsively or even worse cared about impressing anyone other than myself, I'd likely be in crushing debt right now just like most people who appear to be "living the life". Last I checked, hard work is not privilege.

Nobody likes to talk about how the "self made people who need their privelege checked" did before they were well off. Not the pitfalls, not the multiple years of 90 hour work weeks.

It’s great if you worked crazily hard and, against all odds, somehow paid for college, landed a job with an amazing salary, and have remained clear sighted about necessities vs. desires. You might just be the only truly self-made man in America.

If so, in all seriousness, congratulations on a remarkable accomplishment.

I would, though, caution you against thinking that your own experience is reproducible in any reliable way, or that it can serve as a useful prescription for success for others. When folks complain about privilege, they aren’t talking about you.

I can tell you for a fact that the person you're responding to isn't the only self made person in the US. Not everyone here is wealthy, but there is a lot of opportunity. I too am an immigrant and nothing was handed to me. I have been lucky in picking the right field, and finding good opportunities.

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