Potential = Society?

In English about a week ago, we had to take a prompt and write about it for 25 minutes. It was in preparation for the SATs. So the prompt was: Society can limit one's potential. Explain why this statement is an inevitable choice or an obstacle that can be overcome. (Or something very close to that). I chose that it could be overcome, I mean, look at Martin Luther King Jr., or those other people that did well.
Maybe, though, I chose the wrong people to focus on, what about the other people who never reach their full potential? The people for who society is inevitable and can't be overcome? I don't know, but my friend Mike wrote it from the other perspective. In his, society was representing the government. He talked about the small businesses in my town, and how it was hard for them to expand, because all of the red tape it would take them to get through. He knew a business owner who wanted to expand into the state next to us, but because of the time and money needed to do that, he was unable to. The government really does hold people down. But so does the press, so do the people. Think of the people with new ideas, think of Galileo; he was put under house arrest. And he was right. It really is debatable. Personally, I think it depends, if you have the urge to succeed, the need to make something of yourself, you will, you won't listen to society. Unfortunately, if you just want to let everything happen around you and hope stuff works out for the best, no, awesome stuff probably won't happen to you. I really couldn't say though, I haven't decided whether I believe in destiny or not.

So it's for you to decide: Can people reach their potential and overcome society? Or is society the inevitable; something that cannot be conquered?

...:::///|||\\\:::...

I'm going to put a in poem I wrote in like 5 seconds during English because it came to me.

...:::No One Knows:::...

You think you know a lot,
And you think you're oh-so-hot,
But whether you are or not,
No one knows.

And you say you never fail,
But you never tell your tales,
You've never gotten revenge,
But no one knows.

Once you had to be led,
Twice you've lost your head,
The third time's a charm,
And no one knows.

_____

Say what you think because I could care less, I mainly like the "oh-so-hot" line. So say what you want.

<3 Sarah J