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» I'm beginning to think success is all luck and hard work is a meme
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post 1641567353 06-24-2021, 08:27 PM
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I'm beginning to think success is all luck and hard work is a meme

Is success just law of statistics at work - i.e. some people are going to be successful based on lucky circumstances/connections and when they get to the top they bull**** about "working harder" than most people?

Average/poor people "work hard" if not harder than wealthy people yet they will never be wealthy because they are not lucky enough to be born with the tools/connections/variables needed to be wealthy.

Most wealthy people are born with the tools to climb the socioeconomic ladder whereas average joes/poor people are born with no ladder. Is this cope or reality?

Cliffs: Successful people are not extraordinary. They're just lucky.
post 1641567523 06-24-2021, 08:31 PM
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The thing about Success is its just law of statistics at work - i.e. some people are going to be successful based on lucky circumstances/connections and when they get to the top they bull**** about "working harder" than most people?

Average/poor people "work hard" if not harder than wealthy people yet they will never be wealthy because they are not lucky enough to be born with the tools/connections/variables needed to be wealthy.

Most wealthy people are born with the tools to climb the socioeconomic ladder whereas average joes/poor people are born with no ladder. Is this cope or reality?

Cliffs: Successful people are not extraordinary. They're just lucky
post 1641567733 06-24-2021, 08:34 PM
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Depends on your definition of hard work. It's not going to make you a multimillionaire except at retirement age, but you will know exactly what you are getting for the amount of hours you labor. To become a multimillionaire early or billionaire, yes, that's generally going to be luck, though you can sometimes find a niche that will make you moderately rich. People are depressed af in this social media age where they stare at Chads and billionaires in staged photographs, though a middle-class lifestyle nowadays is better than living as a king a hundred years ago in many respects.
post 1641567903 06-24-2021, 08:37 PM
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yeah man, a lot of success in this world comes down to winning the genetic lotto. Be it blessed with athleticism, or really good looks. The self actualization process of the majority catering to the few genetic elite takes care of the rest.

That being said, theres a lot of false prophets and dead end avenues out there that make the road to success through hard work and effort that much harder if you aren't being propelled to greatness through superficial favoritism or nepotism
post 1641567963 06-24-2021, 08:39 PM
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Luck plays a role but you can't just be indifferent and think everything is predetermined. A simple example would be 2 tradies.

One tradie goes to work, does his 12 hour shift and goes to his rental home to play computer games 6 days a week. On sunday he just drinks beers at home and watches netflix. He spends all his money on flat screen TVs, newest iPhones, laptops and alcohol so he's left with 0 at the end of the week.

The other tradie goes to the gym for an hour before work, does his shift, goes out 2x a week to hang out with his mates, lives in his rental but saves 30% of his salary every week. On Saturdays and Sundays he goes to the pub for a couple of stubbies and meets new people.

After 5 years the first tradie is still doing the same old chit but the second tradie can put a down payment on a condo. After 10 years he can purchase another property for passive income. He also has infinitely more chances of meeting someone in the pub who might need a new employee or a business partner that his skillset matches.

Both are tradies but one is generating opportunities while the other has given up on life.

There is some luck involved but the second tradie takes ownership of his life and works towards a goal. You can't just lay down and rot because life is unfair, nobody is going to help you if you don't help yourself first.

That concludes my TEDtalk on extreme ownership.

(brought to you by Jocko)
post 1641568003 06-24-2021, 08:40 PM
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it comes down to a having a rich family. brb borrow family money to start a new business. now im a savvy business man guys!!!!!
post 1641568033 06-24-2021, 08:40 PM
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Anyone who denies that luck is the most important factor in success is most likely overly pretentious and arrogant.

You're born with the intelligence that you have
You grow up with parents that instill certain qualities in you ( brb asian vs black kids attitude toward school)
You meet the right people at the right time
You come up with the right idea at the right time.

The biggest problem is the survivor bias
People ignore all the 99.9% of people that worked very hard without success, while only focusing on the 0.1 % that succeed.


The other important thing is that people are overly optimistic and have an exaggerated sense of agency and perception of control.

For example, I was a 4.0 student in undergrad. It was mostly luck. I happened to be raised to like school. I enjoyed doing well in school more than other activities. I understand things better than most students, not because I did something special but because of my genes and upbringing.
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post 1641568103 06-24-2021, 08:41 PM
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post 1641568153 06-24-2021, 08:42 PM
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You have to work hard to be successful. Not everybody who works hard will be successful.
post 1641568233 06-24-2021, 08:44 PM
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Originally Posted By Schnitzl
Luck plays a role but you can't just be indifferent and think everything is predetermined. A simple example would be 2 tradies.

One tradie goes to work, does his 12 hour shift and goes to his rental home to play computer games 6 days a week. On sunday he just drinks beers at home and watches netflix. He spends all his money on flat screen TVs, newest iPhones, laptops and alcohol so he's left with 0 at the end of the week.

The other tradie goes to the gym for an hour before work, does his shift, goes out 2x a week to hang out with his mates, lives in his rental but saves 30% of his salary every week. On Saturdays and Sundays he goes to the pub for a couple of stubbies and meets new people.

After 5 years the first tradie is still doing the same old chit but the second tradie can put a down payment on a condo. After 10 years he can purchase another property for passive income. He also has infinitely more chances of meeting someone in the pub who might need a new employee or a business partner that his skillset matches.

Both are tradies but one is generating opportunities while the other has given up on life.

There is some luck involved but the second tradie takes ownership of his life and works towards a goal. You can't just lay down and rot because life is unfair, nobody is going to help you if you don't help yourself first.

That concludes my TEDtalk on extreme ownership.

(brought to you by Jocko)
My argument would be: the 2nd tradie had something instilled in him by parents or someone else (Luck) to save money whereas tradie number 1 was never lucky enough to have someone teach him about saving money

I guess this comes down to the classic free will/determinism argument
post 1641568513 06-24-2021, 08:49 PM
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Originally Posted By GaryCarnivals
My argument would be: the 2nd tradie had something instilled in him by parents or someone else (Luck) to save money whereas tradie number 1 was never lucky enough to have someone teach him about saving money

I guess this comes down to the classic free will/determinism argument
We are the products of our environment
We don't really choose our environment unitil we've already been socialized by an environment we didn't choose.
Free will is a cope for people that can't accept the nature of the universe we live in
Unless they bring up religion
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post 1641568973 06-24-2021, 08:57 PM
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Fortune favours the brave. If you don’t work hard, you’ll never be successful. Sure, you can ride your daddy’s coattails but that’s not really successful. Some people are dealt a better hand and of course luck plays into that, but even people with lives on easy mode work hard. Many of my colleagues were born with silver spoon but still worked hard in their life to carve their own niche and are successful on their own. Yes, it’ll be much harder if you were born on poverty, but you still have a chance to at least climb out of poverty to middle class, at least in America for now.
post 1641569253 06-24-2021, 09:03 PM
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Luck has always been the biggest factor, but the problem is over the last 40 years, luck is playing an increasingly bigger role. Who your parents are today is a much more important factor than who your parents were 40 years ago.
I hate capitalism srs
post 1641569273 06-24-2021, 09:04 PM
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Originally Posted By GaryCarnivals
My argument would be: the 2nd tradie had something instilled in him by parents or someone else (Luck) to save money whereas tradie number 1 was never lucky enough to have someone teach him about saving money

I guess this comes down to the classic free will/determinism argument
Absolutely. If we take this example to the extremes, throwing sand in the sand pits of Botswana from the time you were 4 years old means you have almost no chance of making it. For an average person in the US, there's way too many opportunities to only base it on predeterminism. Even if it is so, there's no harm in trying to better oneself. If your starting point is far behind your peers, you can sit back and let life go past you or you can do something about it. You won't be a billionaire most likely but you can at least make something of yourself.
post 1641569303 06-24-2021, 09:05 PM
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Define success…
We’re all gonna make it.
post 1641569333 06-24-2021, 09:06 PM
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Both.

You need a way to stay in it.
post 1641569683 06-24-2021, 09:12 PM
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i think my most glaring perception of this was when i was 18 and on my own.. had to work minimum wage. just came from a super expensive school with all that education. i was the same person you know..

more importantly, i saw all the employees there busting their azz 40 hours a week

then i went around my friend from the rich high school who's parents paid for everything and he was dropping off a 10k dollar check just for living in the dorms for 6 months (at the time that was close to my salary for a year)

that fat ******* was doing jack chit. and then there were people out there busting their azz 40 hours a week for 7.25 / a pittance compared to him
post 1641569773 06-24-2021, 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted By propreffered7
i think my most glaring perception of this was when i was 18 and on my own.. had to work minimum wage. just came from a super expensive school with all that education. i was the same person you know..

more importantly, i saw all the employees there busting their azz 40 hours a week

then i went around my friend from the rich high school who's parents paid for everything and he was dropping off a 10k dollar check just for living in the dorms for 6 months (at the time that was close to my salary for a year)
You and me both.
post 1641569903 06-24-2021, 09:16 PM
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Why is wealth pareto distributed while talent is normally distributed? Is this consistent with a meritocracy?
post 1641569913 06-24-2021, 09:16 PM
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Poor people work a lot harder than successful people, poor people shouldn’t do that. Unfortunately they still will. Throw a stake in the ground and let everything flow around it. Write down affirmations 15 times a day everyday until it comes true. It’s not magic it’s psychology. There’s a certain way of thinking about things that will work out for you. Add Wincel to ignore, he is a loser with no humility. He could live a good life but his ego won’t allow it. The same could be true of you, do not be like him. Think about probability. Multiply everything you do by 1,000 and go with the thing that goes your way more times out of 1,000. I am actually serious about all of this.
Entire NYPD should go on strike. You'll see then how quickly the mayor changes his tone.

"Dig with your hands, not with your mouths"

Entire NYPD should go on strike. You'll see then how quickly the mayor changes his tone.
post 1641569933 06-24-2021, 09:17 PM
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Originally Posted By dizzin9
Define success…


^ these stupid snapchat videos asking random people "what they do for a living" inspired me to make this thread
post 1641569943 06-24-2021, 09:17 PM
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Well yeah

Some people have parents who give kids no direction and by the time the kids figure it out, they are 30 already

Some kids are guided properly and making bank at 24 already putting money in proper areas to create wealth

Guidance when young makes a huge difference to later life wealth
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post 1641570313 06-24-2021, 09:27 PM
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Do you want a cookie for figuring out life ain’t fair OP?

I thought everyone knew you needed the following to have a chance at being successful

Intelligence/talent (born with it=luck)
Work ethic (usually taught by parents but can be learned later in life)
The ability to network/personality(usually taught or born with it, but can be learned)
*Updated* If you can't hit a 320 yard drive, are you even a man?
post 1641570393 06-24-2021, 09:29 PM
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No chit op
post 1641570413 06-24-2021, 09:30 PM
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Not at all.

Position/knowledge access to capital combined

Odd. Any tradie can be a millionaire after a decade and a half or two just from saving and investment alone. A tradesman can easily bring in several hundred a year after mastering a craft and running a decent business.

Not sure if this is self esteem or confidence Opie. It's really up to you.
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post 1641570453 06-24-2021, 09:31 PM
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Connects and good vibes
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post 1641570463 06-24-2021, 09:31 PM
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You need to position yourself to be able to take advantage of the luck.
post 1641570543 06-24-2021, 09:34 PM
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Originally Posted By mr.left
Connects and good vibes
Sounds corny but 100%
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post 1641572743 06-24-2021, 10:24 PM
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It's a combination of luck and working hard, and working smart. You're not gonna be successful based on luck alone. A million dollars isn't going to just fall into your lap unless you were born into a wealthy family. If you're starting off at a entry level minimum wage job, it's almost impossible to turn that into a million dollars. It takes money to make money, and you can't make enough money to start a business or make big investments if you're working low paying jobs. Breaking thru that initial glass ceiling is the most difficult part. If you have a million dollars you have a ton of options for how you can invest it or grow up. But how are you gonna invest your $800 paycheck from your job? Some people are really lucky and they come up with an idea for an invention, and they have the people skills to network and find investors to make it happen. Another miscer might have a great idea but they don't have the connections so it goes no where. So there's a lot of variables and luck that goes into it.
post 1641582143 06-25-2021, 05:02 AM
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"Victory is in having done your best. If you've done your best, you've won."

In the end, all luck or any meme won't help you.

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