What is it about people that make them fail? I actually did a psych paper on this before. There is a large extent to which individual situations and family resources are a factor in determining success. But what about the rest of the variables?

Boudieu, a french sociologist, seems to suggest we internalize norms from family first, then society. This is called habitus. So for example, if you happened to come from a family which valued hard work and achievement, you'd have a good start. When you come into society, you are accepted as a generally hardworking person, and you internalize this label. This only makes you work harder.

However, if you've got a bad start, you come out into society labelled as below-par, and you internalize this title, which further plunges you into mediocrity.

So blame it entirely on the family? I don't think so. We internalize norms ourselves. So if we're stupid enough to believe we're shit, we'll be shit. It's self-fulfilling prophecy 101. We think "omg no way, no one is that stupid to think that."

But hey, there are tons of people who know they're failing and yet they still walk into the wall like they've given up. Don't they feel the pain?

Success is such an abstract word. We don't share the same defintion. We can't tell winners from losers. But a winner knows that they're a winner, and a failure knows inside they're a failure.

So the question is what is that extra something that winners have? and why do people still keep walking into the wall even when they know it?