Luck vs. Choice Amani

"The Other Wes Moore '' is a book authored by Wes Moore that navigates the lives of two men with the same name who grew up in similar circumstances but ended up on completely different paths. One Wes Moore became a Rhode Scholar, decorated veteran, and successful businessman, meanwhile the other Wes Moore ended up serving a life sentence for murder. The book goes in depth into their lives looking at the influences of culture, family, education, environment, and choices leading to their different outcomes. The narrative displays multiple themes as well, one including luck vs choice, luck being the outcome they have given their circumstances. This would include external factors like family history, social status, and the opportunities granted. For example in the book, one Wes Moore had a supportive family, quality education, and mentors that contributed to his success. The other Wes Moore faced poverty, no father figure, and was exposed to drugs and violence. Choice on the other hand is referring to the decisions individuals make in response to their situation which will shape their future. Another example, both of the Wes Moore's faced misfortune but one of them still made the decision to prioritize his education, look for positive influences, and pull himself away from the negative ones. The other Wes Moore made decisions that led him down a destructive path of crime and imprisonment, and he knew his decisions would lead him there. There is no doubt that both luck and choice can determine outcomes of our lives, but ultimately no matter how much luck you have, your choices define your destiny. Both Wes Moore's grew up in similar situations, but both ended up living two completely different lives because of the choices they each made. There is also no doubt that the other Wes Moore could've had a good future, but instead of learning from his mistakes he yielded to his challenges and let them define his life. There were multiple chances for redemption, to create resilience and growth which is one of the things the book highlights, but it is also important to take personal responsibility and accountability for the things we chose/choose to do , and we must recognize our decisions have consequences and they  will affect others and ourselves.