I had never thought about the difference between equal opportunities and equal circumstances. I've always heard everyone talk about equality but, until reading Dr. Deaton's book, I had never thought about the roots of equality. No one has the same circumstances, but generally you have to work to get something. I believe that in most cases, if you want equal opportunities, you have to create them yourself. For example, I love sports, everything about it. People come from all kinds of backgrounds and circumstances because they've all worked hard enough to create the opportunity to play competitively. To get to the MLB/NBA/NFL there is no minimum parental salary or minimum education level, only athletes who have overcome their circumstances. However, I think that differences in circumstances may be a major cause of inequalities. For example, my older sister and I went to the same high school where if you want to learn something, sometimes you have to teach it yourself because the curriculum wasn't difficult and athletics were praised more than academics. Due to my family's disapproval of my high school and my father's new job, my younger brother can now attend the local private school whose academics surpass my high school. My brother, in the long run, will have more opportunities than me or my sister because of the education he receives based on our family's progress, not because he surpassed me and my sister. Progress has created inequality. For everyone to have equal opportunities, everyone must have the same circumstances or must work hard enough to overcome their circumstances, equality does not create