Is success in life more a matter of luck than anything else?

[BrilloPad]

Tell that to someone who lives in Zimbabwe.

Our neighbours came from Zimbabwe a few years ago. There seems to be a few living in SE LOndon (a few at the church I attend). Admittedly the option of moving abroad is not open to all.

[oracleslave]

You'd do better to read my book

EO's guide to successful contracting, vol II (Harper and Collins) 2005

'Anyone born with a F@nny may find themselves sitting on a fortune'


This was back in 2005 and he was proved absolutely right.



[/quote]

[Purple Dalek]

No, success is NOT more a matter of luck than anything else, to answer your question. However, luck is certainly involved.
I would put hard work higher up than luck, and I speak as someone that has made it his life's work to avoid it.

I used to work hard. Then took just just taking a shot with pot luck.

Luck is far higher up than hard work.

[gingerjedi]

“The more I practice, the luckier I get" - The legendary golfer Gary Player

This does hold some truth but of course he was 'lucky' enough to be born as a white man in South Africa, if he was black or a women or both I doubt he would have been allowed on a golf course in the first place.

[Bagpuss]

Pehaps rather than luck (which some seem to have an emotive reaction to) it would be better to call it a Random factor over which we have no control.

Sometimes this random factor works to our advantage and sometimes not. When things are going well it's easy to assume we are 100% in control of our own destiny when in fact we are riding a wave of fortune created by exogenous circumstances.

[BrilloPad]

You'd do better to read my book

EO's guide to successful contracting, vol II (Harper and Collins) 2005

'Anyone born with a F@nny may find themselves sitting on a fortune'


This was back in 2005 and he was proved absolutely right.

[/QUOTE]

I trust that is the English definition rather than the American one?

[deano]

Tell that to someone who lives in Zimbabwe.

You could set up a business carrying cholera victims to the cemetary.

Opportunities abound everywhere. Some folk pick up on them, most don't. Is it really luck, or is it just "look". In other words, if you keep looking for opportunities you will find more of them than if you don't look for them.

Of course spotting an opportunity means nothing if you don't gamble and try to take advantage of the opportunity. This is where the hard work comes in.

David Beckham was told he was lucky to have such a wonderful right-foot when it comes to free kicks. Hit response was "The more I practice my free-kicks, the luckier I get!"

Authors all over the world have heard people say "I've got a great idea for a novel. You write it and we'll split the proceeds 50-50". The point is that ideas are commonplace and worthless on their own. A good author is always looking for ideas and can get half-a-dozen from the morning newspaper. But the hard work comes in writing the books from the ideas, which can amount to years of hard work. Are they lucky? Or have they refined their "look" to spot ideas, and then put in the graft?

[sasguru]

You could set up a business carrying cholera victims to the cemetary.

Opportunities abound everywhere. Some folk pick up on them, most don't. Is it really luck, or is it just "look". In other words, if you keep looking for opportunities you will find more of them than if you don't look for them.

Of course spotting an opportunity means nothing if you don't gamble and try to take advantage of the opportunity. This is where the hard work comes in.

David Beckham was told he was lucky to have such a wonderful right-foot when it comes to free kicks. Hit response was "The more I practice my free-kicks, the luckier I get!"

Authors all over the world have heard people say "I've got a great idea for a novel. You write it and we'll split the proceeds 50-50". The point is that ideas are commonplace and worthless on their own. A good author is always looking for ideas and can get half-a-dozen from the morning newspaper. But the hard work comes in writing the books from the ideas, which can amount to years of hard work. Are they lucky? Or have they refined their "look" to spot ideas, and then put in the graft?

Ah but they were lucky enough to have been taught to write in the first place. A substantial proportion of the world are illiterate you know.

[Purple Dalek]

That guy who plays Victor Meldrew said something along the lines: it took me 40 years to become an overnight sensation.

[Cyberman]

You make your own 'luck' in this world. Too many people seem to think that the taxpayer owes them a cushy existence. Put in the effort and you will get your rewards eventually. Too many people sit back and make no effort whatsoever, and get their 'just' rewards.......state benefits