Lost Diamonds: How our current system is failing underprivileged talent
I wish I could remember where I read this, but I once heard it explained to me as this:<p>It's easy to deride the journey of the rich college student:  80-hour internships at Goldman Sachs, unpaid positions in government, etc. But, the things that are done by successful people are hard, as hard as walking a tightrope. The difference is that rich students walk this tightrope over a bed of pillows. Poor students walk it over an open pit of spikes.<p>Obviously falling off onto a cushion is easier. What's less obvious is how nerve-wracking it is to know that there are real consequences. Danger creates stress, and stress ruins results. Paradoxically, if you know you have more than one shot, you're more likely to succeed on your first try.