Understandable.

I acknowledge the validity of having a harder time due to unfavorable conditions. I think the whole beauty of randian rhetoric is the hope that hardships are traversable and if you make the right moves, there's gold at the end of the tunnel.

I belong to a social circle of ex-misfits who are now in a great spot through defying convention and carving a new path despite the odds.

A good friend of mine is a Jamaican immigrant who came to America with literally nothing when he was 13. He's now a multi-millionaire. I know an Austrian in the same situation, who came here knowing NO English. He now employs 15 people and his kickstarter funded for 750k.

After being laid off when I was 21 (I'm 29 now).. I was homeless for a period. I eventually pulled myself to stability because of a few amazing books at the library that taught me how to use my research/writing skills to make a living. I met with other people like me trying to make things happen.

I'm not a millionaire, but I'm on my way and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

What you say is true.. It's hard. People are born into objectively disadvantaged situations. As a dude living in a tent behind the church, I had no ID and no address. I wouldn't have been able to use the Library computers or get a bank account if I wasn't so good at lying.

You shouldn't have to lie. It sucks that people have to do it. To me any philosophy that preaches hark work and hustle is great.

Where I suppose this falls apart is: Hard work alone in a vacuum means nothing. Your hard work must provide net benefit to those around you to be effective. Figuring out how to identify net benefit is a tough skill to learn. Most people don't even know where to look or where to start. I was lucky enough to have a nudge from an old teacher to find my starting point.