I wish people realized that hard work leads to success is mostly an American idea

If you told a Japanese person that hard work leads to success, they would laugh at you. In Japan, everyone works hard, yet only a tiny fraction of the population are wealthy and happy. The fact is that there is only a limited amount of good opportunities in the world. Even in Europe, most people believe stuff like intelligence and natural attractiveness are more important, and your success in life is mostly pre determined