It's not survivor bias because all my siblings are still alive and I was the only one that nearly didn't make it.
I think it's a common enough situation where people who don't suffer enough to change their bad behavior continue in their bad behavior.
To put it in extremes, if someone had a gun to their head right now, could they quit smoking? I'd say most people could. (some people are suicidal)
I had a gun to my head and had to make a choice, my siblings did not.
But back to my point, reality isn't rigged, it is what it is.
There aren't rich people forcing poor people to stay poor at gun point (at least not in free countries). While rich people do make it easier for people in their circle to stay rich though (ignoring the differences in habits). That, I would say is rigged, but not in the way it seems commonly claimed.
I agree with you, but the game is rigged in that those with a better pedigree learn things others do not. That realization came slowly over several years, no one likes to believe they have built-in inequities.
But that's reality for you, you work with what you have.
The people arguing against you, exactly what are they thinking? That we should outlaw parents giving their children an edge in life?
They concentrate their efforts on the wrong things. And the solution is generational, teach children they can, and they will.
>...those with a better pedigree learn things others do not
Yes, I agree completely. But what I learned from my own experience is that I could teach different things to my kids than I was taught. No one forced me to teach the same things.
And I agree there seems to be a general unfairness in the world. How to fix this seems like the hard part because of your other points. (force people to not help their kids?)
> It's not survivor bias because all my siblings are still alive and I was the only one that nearly didn't make it.
Survival bias isn't (necessarily) literal. And you are ascribing your success (relative to your siblings) to drive developed from your rough times, not to a million other possible variables you're not aware of, and your story is just one case.
It is survival bias, regardless of whether your analysis happens to be true.
I will concede that only having my one data point presented seems to indicate that what I did to "save myself" won't work for everyone.
But don't you think that if everyone who smokes, if they quit today, all of them have a better chance at being healthier in the future? Maybe not all, but wouldn't their chances be greatly improved?
What is the difference between smoking and any other self destructive behavior people have?
I think it's a common enough situation where people who don't suffer enough to change their bad behavior continue in their bad behavior.
To put it in extremes, if someone had a gun to their head right now, could they quit smoking? I'd say most people could. (some people are suicidal)
I had a gun to my head and had to make a choice, my siblings did not.
But back to my point, reality isn't rigged, it is what it is.
There aren't rich people forcing poor people to stay poor at gun point (at least not in free countries). While rich people do make it easier for people in their circle to stay rich though (ignoring the differences in habits). That, I would say is rigged, but not in the way it seems commonly claimed.