Childhood experiences

[Abandoned_Account]

I think that things can go one of two ways when someone grows up in a harsher or stricter environment. Either they'll use the struggles and unpleasantness they faced and use it to propel themselves in the real world, feeling hardened and more confident for things they had already endured. This isn't the case for everyone, unfortunately. There are a lot of people who crack in harder upbringings, or they simply never amount to anything because they internalize and believe the things others told them about themselves. It's disheartening, but it's true. One's outcome largely depends on who they are as an individual and how they act when under pressure or when faced with obstacles in life.

[Wallaceo]

Although the author's childhood experience was seemingly poor, he still managed be the top scoring student in his Island at the time and found a way to found some level of comfort in order to achieve his goals.

[Cecilia_L]

While some people would adopt a victim mentality, the author allowed the adversity he experienced to motivate him to work harder and make wise choices. I applaud his strength and perseverance.

[essyallan7475]

Mu choldhood was not good. But it made me into person i am today. I wont make the same mistake with my kids.

[T_stone]

With the disappointment of his father and the way his aunt treated him, I think it affected the kind of independence that ended with him.

[Wanjugush]

Childhood experiences to some extent shapes our future, but not always. I can say the author also worked hard and was determinined; which maybe or maybe not have been compeled by past experiences.

[Wanja Hannah]

I wouldn't say, Yes or No. I beleive you use your painful and hard past to propel you to achieve higher goals and prove your oppresors wrong. On the other hand, he could have used his past as an excuse to turn to self pity and keep whinning about his shortcomings. I wouldn't pin his success to his childhood experiences because it could have turned either way. It is purely about his will power and working hard.

I totally agree with you. Some childhood experiences could be so bitter and harmful that in the end you live a life of blame game. It is wonderful how the author chose the positive side of it.

[skindrukas]

All experiences make us what we are. When people meet problems they react in several ways. One of them is to go over the problem (solve it), or to go around it (escape it). There is no right or wrong way but what we do at that moment teaches our brain how we are going to (most likely) react to other problems we will meet in future. That builds up or character.

[Smrithy]

In most cases, childhood and upbringing can decide the way in which we act and react. Thus, I do agree that author mustered courage due to his childhood experiences.

[Only1Cola]

Most people will either become just like their parents, or they will cognitively decide not to be like their parents in certain ways. It seems to me that the author is a thinker, and he made cognitive decisions about his own future, he didn’t just let the examples of, or the treatment from his parents shape his life.

[Leah39]

I couldn't even imagine the hardships of growing up in true poverty, but I also think that growing up in the type of environment that the author did gave him a strong sense of self-reliance, resilience, and the creativity to work around problems that he may not have been able to do if he didn't have the upbringing that he did. He didn't have anything to fall back on, and had to rely on his brain to solve issues.

Too often, when we can just buy things or get help from others, it can be difficult to figure out solutions on our own. I feel that his childhood experiences definitely helped influence who he was and further his successes in his life.

[Bles]

As they normally say that experience is the best teacher, to some extent his past experiences contributed to his success. This happens to most of us in our daily lives. To succeed, we go through tough experiences and the scars we sustain reminds us of where we came from.

[Nerea]

I tend to think that the way people responded to their past experiences could have a great impact in their lives today. Some experiences toughen people in that they are able to make weighty decisions and succeed in life.

[Nerea]

While some people would adopt a victim mentality, the author allowed the adversity he experienced to motivate him to work harder and make wise choices. I applaud his strength and perseverance.

True. He turned his adversities to lessons.

[Nerea]

I couldn't even imagine the hardships of growing up in true poverty, but I also think that growing up in the type of environment that the author did gave him a strong sense of self-reliance, resilience, and the creativity to work around problems that he may not have been able to do if he didn't have the upbringing that he did. He didn't have anything to fall back on, and had to rely on his brain to solve issues.

Too often, when we can just buy things or get help from others, it can be difficult to figure out solutions on our own. I feel that his childhood experiences definitely helped influence who he was and further his successes in his life.

Correct. His childhood experience really toughened him up and created in him the ability to make weighty decisions.