>OTOH, who your parents and ancestors were counts for a lot in what you start out with in the lottery of life.
>Absolutely.
>It's probably the single most important influence on the direction of someone's life.
>
>Really? I really must have won the lottery of life. I was a battered child - the first memory I had of my father was when he put me in the hospital with 3 broken ribs at the age of 5. And my mother was mentally ill. Boy, I sure won that lottery, didn't I? That has to me the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard.

Not sure how that negates Bill's point ? You may have had more to deal with than most - but would you not agree that most therefore had an advantage over you ?