A day in the life of the self made man.

[Cerridwen]

85. Actually, if you'll read my OP rather than sticking on

the other you linked, you'll notice I mention all kinds of people and skills. Parents, farmers, weavers, teachers, mentors, cooks, builders, etc.; though not by name so much as by skill.

I'm from the west. There are great stories of people coming here and "making a killing" through mining or gambling or thievery or murder. Miners wound up in mining camps with extortion rate laundries and "restaurants." Of course the ore they mined was useless unless there was a buyer.

Barn raisings were community events. Ranchers and farmers formed guilds and posses.

Hell, even that most romanticised of hermits, the mountain men, gathered together to trade furs, tobacco, liquor, get a new pair of boots and to tell "no shit there I was" stories.

My point, in this OP, is that people need the skills and knowledge of others and our and their history. Throughout history, humans gathered together and created communities for protection, for sharing skills, to make war, to make love, all kinds of reasons.

In case you've forgotten your civics lessons or were never taught such, at least in theory, "government" is "We, the People."

To answer your question, "what sets those who are successful apart from those who aren't?"

First, define successful. Do you mean is a happy and healthy person? Do you mean a well-rounded, Renaissance type person. Do you mean a kind and compassionate person? Some mix of all of the above? Someone who successfully heals themselves and others? Someone who cares for others? Someone who teaches and mentors others? A 'good' parent? A 'good' neighbor?

Or do you count success in dollars and credit ratings? Do you measure square footage of a home to determine if it's adequately sized to reflect success? Do you measure who has the biggest bank account? The most assets?

As you may note, I question the dominant definitions and value system that says success equals happiness and that stuff equals success.

I still say we do not exist in a vacuum, and as I posted elsewhere (perhaps that other thread you reference?) we stand on the shoulders of those who've come before. And I'll add, we succeed best who succeed together. That is why we make communities.

/steps off soap box