This article is my reaction to a post in an online forum. It is based on my strong belief that luck has more to do with success than most of us acknowledge.
"In my experience it doesn't take much at all to succeed in this world," wrote someone in a forum.His experience is probably limited to rich parts of this world. Most people "in this world" draw the short straw and are born into poor, corrupt, over-populated countries.
There are several countries where 25% of people die before they turn five, usually due to malaria. Are they to blame for not working harder for success? Can one say this: "those good-for-nothing 4-year-olds in Mali - they expect life to be handed them on a platter. It's their own fault for dying." Of course not.
Most of you reading this are super lucky, born into rich countries with low levels of corruption and (relatively) high education, health, and literacy, where personal liberty and economic freedom taken for granted. We are not representative of the world population.
I'm slightly impressed with people in rich, developed, uncorrupt countries who succeed. I am incredibly impressed with people in countries such as India who succeed. I've been to India. Corruption and poverty are normal. To succeed from there into the wider world is astonishing.
I was born white, male, in good health, in the late 20th century, in a rich country, where English is the mother tongue. While growing up I received free health care and free education, at levels ranked amongst the world's highest. I have the economic and personal freedom to travel to most parts of the world. All of this happened through no action of my own. Percentage-wise I am one of the luckiest people who ever lived.
Posts
3 comments:
Some very profound thoughts there, Steve and you're right statistically..
But even more were so lucky to be born at all. From Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins:
"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Sahara. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here.
...we didn't arrive by spaceship, we arrived by being born, and we didn't burst conscious into the world but accumulated awareness gradually through babyhood. The fact that we gradually apprehend our world, rather than sudddenly discovering it, should not subtract from its wonder."
Well said Steve.
In addition, I think one of the most purposeful aims in life is to help people get what you have. Living in dignity is a right that should be enjoyed by all, not just an elite few.
Some people may think that the above is at odds with capitalism, but in fact, it is quite aligned with it. In some cultures, it is understood that a rich person *will* give back to the community which helped him become rich.
Lose yourself in service and you will find yourself. Or something like that anyway.
Mike is too cerebral for me.
Hi Steve,
I read that thread on the forum you are referring to.
There's a reason most (if not all, can't recall if a few used names) they post this stuff as anon's. Hint - it's not to protect their businesses. They are sad people who don't feel a shred of humanity for anybody except themselves.
Mike's quote right on the money (no pun intended). It applies to teh mindset of the people you are referring to in your post - sadly.
Post a Comment