Mike: I really admire people who transcend their upbringing, like someone from a racist family who realizes that racism is wrong, or the kid who was raised in the projects that realizes that personal responsibility is the key to success. I think it takes a special sort of innate self awareness to be able to realize at a young age that something isn't right with your enviornment, and actively seek out a solution.
Russ: I agree. You should read Malcolm X's autobiography. He describes how he was totally immoral before he went to prison and realized that morality and education were the only exit from poverty. In fact, he describes how he read the dictionary cover to cover after he realized that he only had a 500 word vocabulary.
Mike: Sounds good. I'll put it on my "to-read" list.
Russ: You should. It's an easy read.
Mike: Well I hope so. If he only had a 500 word vocabulary, he couldn't have progressed that far.
