At least 50% of success in life comes from luck?

[drcha]

Quote from Kicking:

Succesful people underestimate the luck factor, unsuccessful people tend to do the opposite . But luck in general is more important than you think. Even in trading .

Makes sense to me.

There is definitely some luck in it--at least in terms of one's original background. For instance, I had the luck to be born to middle class parents in the western world, not the 12th child of a beggar in the third world. So I've had more opportunities than some.

However, if we are comparing two people with my same background to each other--well, the rest is all attitude, effort and horse sense. Once you are in a place like my home of origin, a home with average income/education, in the US where opportunities abound, luck has not much to do with it. People then separate themselves by ambition, perseverance and effort However, I think that a key ingredient is common sense. Without the last one, it does not matter how smart, determined or privileged you are. I've seen plenty of smart people screw everything up because they can't recognize reality. Just as in trading, in order to succeed in the world, you must be able to see and work with what is, not what you wish could be or think should be.

 

[NeuromanceR]

Chance favours the prepared mind.

 

[shikantaza]

Simple equation for Success:

 

[heypa]

Serendipity (luck) is where preparation meets opportunity. (Paraphrased and stolen from someone.) Too lazy to determine from whom.

 

[runningman]

Only about a quarter of the world population even has internet access. So if you are reading this, you are "lucky" you were born into a country that has developed internet access. If you were the smartest guy in the 18th century, but got a bacterial infection, you were "unlucky" that antibiotics were not discovered yet. Research Warren Buffett's "ovarian lottery" speech.

 

[NeoRio1]

81% of statistics are made up on the spot.

 

[shikantaza]

Quote from runningman:

Only about a quarter of the world population even has internet access. So if you are reading this, you are "lucky" you were born into a country that has developed internet access. If you were the smartest guy in the 18th century, but got a bacterial infection, you were "unlucky" that antibiotics were not discovered yet. Research Warren Buffett's "ovarian lottery" speech.

We are all very lucky that the guy in the picture won his ovarian lottery and is sharing his fortune with all of us.

 

[ElCubano]

Quote from R. Raskolnikov:

You can't control the world you were born into, some time periods are just more prosperous than others but it's what you DO with what you have that defines you. Luck is, of course, a part of everyone's equation (just read Outliers, by Gladwell) but I don't know if we can nail down a definitive percentage.

Luck is a bigger factor than most think...being born to a a drug using single mom in the poorest section of a brazilian shanty town has to do with LUCK....peace

 

[Specterx]

I would say more like 80-90% comes from luck. Being born smart or rich, poor or dumb, healthy or sickly, good-looking or ugly, strong-minded or weak, in America or in Afghanistan, all that's luck. So is being born to parents who prepare you well or poorly for life. And then, between two people with equal gifts/skills, success or relative failure is largely about being in the right place at the right time.

The last 10-20% of success is about recognizing when you're in such a place and exploiting it to the fullest of your ability.

Note that this in no way invalidates the achievements of successful people, or the need for individual responsibility in life, etc. That 10-20% 'non-luck' factor can easily make all the difference.

 

[Specterx]

Success is about attitude, hard work and discipline (in that order).

And having (or lacking) those character traits is going to be largely a function of your genes and how/where/when you were raised. Since none of us can control any of these, it's a matter of luck.