[netsharc]

A good explanation on meritocracy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTDGdKaMDhQ

TL;DW: if you believe the crap that hard work will make you successful (discounting luck), than you'd have to believe the opposite is true: that poor people are lazy.

[AstralStorm]

Only if you discount luck completely.

There are degrees of bad luck otherwise that nobody can surmount. As a simple example, do you consider a person bedridden due to a sickness lazy?

[hestipod]

I've found the sort of people who deny my experience, who blame me, ALWAYS discount how much luck has played in their own life and success. They all believe its entirely due to their effort and deserving. I used to try and convince them, now each time they respond this way it just takes one more notch out of my hope belt and there aren't many notches left.

[netsharc]

hestipod's response says what I mean... I remember reading an article saying that trust fund kids living in luxury can't live with themselves when they tell themselves their richness is due to luck, so they make up a reality where their success is due to hard work...