Self-Made

Who invented Calculus? Newton or Leibniz? Who first thought of Evolution? Darwin or Lamarck? At most, our individual contributions nudge us forward pulling together the thoughts we have had cumulatively. No sharp rock, no fire, no numbers, no language, no society... then no Calculus or understanding of Evolution. We love the idea of being self made, particularly if we had trying circumstances when we were young. These make great rags-to-riches stories but miss the point. GDP per capita in the UK was less than £2,000 up till the middle of the 19th century, then exploded up. A coming together of ideas empowered people born in the place which the Industrial Revolution ripped from being a backwater. Still today, we like to believe we are essentially special. We have something no one else can provide. The only thing that is true of, is emotional connection. Everything else can be found elsewhere. No one is self-made. We don't need any individual. We do want them.