Do you see the success in your life being due to your hard work and talent or luck?

[EricHiggin]

vivster said:

kirby007 said:
This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain

And a hundred percent reason to remember the name

Cobretti2 said:

kirby007 said:
This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain

great song lol.

First thing that came to mind. Such a great tune. Wanna be like Mike.

People do tend to focus way more on themselves and aren't great at comparing in general, especially when it get's more and more complex. If you can't comprehend yourself, how much less work you actually may be doing, it's going to impact you negatively, as well as others. If you're supposed to be doing the same work, for the same pay, and you're not pulling your weight, then over time this is going to be an issue, and will eventually bring down if not break the group. This is why constantly praising people and always being as positive as possible is a problem. That's not to say the opposite is better, but people need to be brought back to the balance of reality when they stray, and sometimes individuals need to learn the hard/harsh way unfortunately.

If you're in the Matrix for long enough, the rule is not to free you, because the mind has too much trouble letting go (of fantasy land) and its dangerous. This isn't just something written into the story to hold it together, it's a legit life lesson, like the many others that come up.

Luck of course being something that exists if you don't believe in fate/destiny. Though in that case, if fate doesn't exist, and every choice you make is what writes your fate as you go, then you're basically making your own luck. Is Harvey Dent lucky? What if you assumed luck and choice were similar if not the same thing? Not all choices are equally good or bad, just like how not all luck is equally as lucky or unlucky. What if the reason for your luck of birth and possibilities was due to the choices other people made, like your parents, or the Founding Fathers of America? Was that all due to luck, or did choices lead to those outcomes as well?

If the choices you made make you lucky, and that allows you to become successful, then is it really a negative that successful people get to make the rules? Assuming of course they are using their past luck to assure that if you follow those rules, you'll have the best chance of succeeding like them, instead of some who might use their luck to rig the system against you.

One man's trash is another man's treasure? One man's luck is another man's choice?

It get's much more complicated when you take into account some successful people are prone to being responsible, knowing many others aren't at that level, so they want to control as much as possible, which can in ways be detrimental. Many of these people also have to struggle with ego. It clouds the minds judgement and isn't easy to deal with. Too confident or to spineless are seen as negative traits, especially for leaders, so finding the balance of ego isn't easy. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

If fate does exist, and that's all there is, then you're just along for the ride, good and/or bad. Much less complicated, though also much less exciting.

Any chance life could be some of both perhaps? Like some video games? You're going to start and end in the same pre determined manner and be set on a path. You get to make choices along the way, but you're at times ending up at certain checkpoints no matter what. The choices you make determine how lucky you are as you reach each of those checkpoints. Deja vu? Just a thought. Who knows?