I understand what you're trying to say but that isn't really a great example in this context.

First of all, what if you were to tell a young child the same thing, who is at fault now?

Let's say you have a father who doesn't value education at all. By the time you're in middle school you've already been conditioned to think education is unimportant and a waste of time. That's the type of influence I'm talking about, and it's not as simple as walking away from that.