Ah, my terseness didn't serve either of us. My apologies!

The point I wanted to make is that it does not serve one's self to throw their hands up in the air, exclaim that there is no point, wait for society to magically fix itself, and do nothing but complain on the Internet.

I believe that we are stronger and more resilient than we give ourselves credit for,

We are in perfect alignment, here.

and maybe that's where I concede I might have rose tinted glasses.

No, the preceding statement is true and correct, in my estimation. The only issues would be will and focus, and with practice, these are remedied.

Edit to add: all this presumes upwardly mobile jobs are actually available, the body and mind meet the physical and intellectual requirements, and transportation isn't an issue.