I'm happy to accept that your individuality is going to be a large part of how your life develops. But so are things beyond your control. The two are interlinked in an incredibly complex way. It's monumentally stupid to pretend that, say, people growing up in more difficult family circumstances, or who must contend with a greater risk of being discriminated against, are still solely responsible for who they end up as.
I barely had to work at all to end up where I did, especially in maths -- at least at High School. I got lucky, in particular, that my parents were happy to encourage reading from a very young age. I got lucky, too, that some in my wider family were happy to encourage education and learning, eg my Great Aunt who ended up taking an OU Physics BA in her 70s, while I was still in my early teens. Imagine if I had been born with the same features but with parents who didn't give a toss about learning. Would I have still ended up where I am now? I doubt it.
This isn't a race thing, either. But education and opportunities go a long way. And it's not just our responsibility to seek them out, either. If you don't know what's out there, how can you go seeking it? Some people are just brilliant and determined enough to overcome any barrier they face, others can require a leg-up to get started.