> no matter how many variables you address you cannot escape one simple fact about "who gets ahead" - "If its important to you, you will find a way, if it is not, you will find an excuse."
Do you have evidence for that? All the evidence I read, including the research discussed in this HN post, says that it depends heavily on where you start, including factors such as family income.
Are you saying that children born into poor families or who face other such disadvantages achieve less because they have less willpower than children born into wealthier families? If so, perhaps we should look at the relationship between family income and willpower.
EDIT: Minor clarification