“There are always some people who fail to meet expectations and other people who beat the odds. Those who beat the odds should be celebrated,” writes columnist MICHAEL MOORE. 

THE notion that “you can do anything you put your mind to” really goes up my nose! 

It’s a sad thing that children are subjected to this sort of nonsense. It sets targets that most invariably have no chance of reaching.

Hard work by an individual is a key ingredient of success. However, there are many confounding factors that enhance or undermine attempts at success. 

There is ample evidence of the range of social determinants of health, for example. Equally there are also many social determinants of success.

Some migrants arrive as refugees with poor education, vaccine-preventable diseases and a culture of violence that will have all played a part in a traumatic background. There are expectations that such people will fit easily into an Australian culture, work hard and be a successful citizen. Against the odds, most do.

There are always some people who fail to meet expectations and other people who beat the odds. Those who beat the odds should be celebrated. However, too often they are held up as the pinnacle of what everyone can achieve. To do so is to set up expectations that cannot be met by many. When expectations are not met, people react in a myriad of different ways.

Sometimes it is depression or other mental health issues. Other times it is violence. A disregard for authority and the rule of law may be seen to be the causes of failure to reach expectations.

Opposition to the referendum on the Voice to parliament is sometimes based on the expectation that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders should have exactly the same rights as other Australians. There is an expectation that hard work will mean success parallel to any other Australian.

However, this fails to consider differences in upbringing, access to early childhood support and educational opportunities for many. There are those who have achieved outstanding results. The chancellor of the University of Canberra, Prof Tom Calma AO, the Senior Australian of the Year, is just one outstanding local example.

Tom Calma has an extraordinary CV including being a diplomat in India and Vietnam. He was an Australian Social Justice Commissioner and founded the Close the Gap Steering Committee for Indigenous Health Equality in 2006. This Commission understood that more than hard work on the part of individuals was needed for success.

Many people work hard to achieve success. It is challenging to reflect on the opportunities that have been there to support such hard work. Success takes both hard work and opportunity.

Malcolm Gladwell provides interesting insights into a range of opportunities in his book “Outliers”. He argues that year of birth has proved a key element of success for some of the greatest entrepreneurs. Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, had opportunities simply by being born in the 1950s.

The mid-1950s meant that entrepreneurs in the Information Technology space were simply at the right age to be engaged and have the opportunities as mainframe computers were replaced by the form that we are familiar with today. Bill Gates also had unusual opportunities as a teenager in having access to the mainframe computer at the University of Michigan.

However, Gates, like so many successful people, also had parents that could afford to offer support. He was able to study and remain engaged in computing, while others of his generation needed to work 12 hours a day in order to fund his university fees or to support their families.

An effective education system and good health remain a key element in providing opportunities for those who would otherwise struggle. This support is often provided by middle class parents and a culture of support of the family to achieve parental expectations.

Gladwell also explores culture in terms of “success”. He identifies certain cultural characteristics that may be measured by other cultures in terms of achievement. He argues that this is not something to be taken lightly.

When considering whether or not to vote in favour of the Voice to parliament, it is worth considering these ramifications for indigenous peoples in Australia. In my view, a “yes” vote will add some of the support that is needed for “success”.

Success can be measured, for example, in closing the gap in terms of economic achievement, education, health and active participation in community to the benefit of all Australians.

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.