I read contrived memoirs by presidential candidates. For every 'Dreams From My Father' - Barack Obama's honest, literary portrayal of his biracial upbringing - there were a dozen cautious, formulaic vanity projects by politicians.
I see my upbringing as a great success story. By disciplining me, my parents inculcated self-discipline. And by restricting my choices as a child, they gave me so many choices in my life as an adult. Because of what they did then, I get to do the work I love now.
A Western upbringing tends to stress questioning authority, which is always asking why, why, why.
I saw my parents come over. They were immigrants, they had no money. My dad wore the same pair of shoes, I had some ugly clothes growing up, and I never had any privileges. In some ways, I think the person that I am now, I think it's good that I had that kind of tough upbringing.
Obviously I was well aware that I had what people consider a privileged upbringing. My mom was never a bake-cookies sort of mom. I really had no reins whatsoever.
The majority of NBA players' upbringing, there's not much financial education.
I don't come from a position that I am better than everybody; I come from a position that I had a tough upbringing. And I don't always highlight it, because I just never wanted to be that person with another rags to riches story.
I'm a country boy, and we're the product of our upbringing. As a boy, I was told that men don't cry.
I don't like crying. I'm a country boy, and we're the product of our upbringing. As a boy, I was told that men don't cry.
People are shaped in myriad ways by their upbringing and family. We also have agency in our lives, the people we become, and the lives we lead.
