Triumphing over adversity - what price are you prepared to pay?

The epidemiologist, Sherman James, studied various black American communities and observed the disproportionately damaging effects upon those struggling to 'achieve' (as opposed to simply survive, although for many that in itself could be considered quite an achievement given the adversity encountered) where this was hard-fought, long drawn-out and suffered against a backdrop of racial inequality and hardship.

Similar studies have also been carried out in other minorities, with the link seemingly most prevalent in low-income communities. However, the observations arguably have a wider resonance, and speak to the importance of removing any barriers (of race, gender, orientation or otherwise) that inhibit equality and which breed discrimination, in particular given the disproportionate devastation they may wreak.

As an aside, as a member of the professional services sector (where sometimes extreme dedication and hardship are considered by some as necessary rites of passage and also proudly held aloft by others as supposed trophies of endeavour and commitment), the fatal experience of John Henry (who won his race against a "machine" but lost his life as a result) can make you question what success is and whether it is always worth it. Hard work in anything you do in life is critical, but at what cost, and what price are you prepared to pay?

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