Are you more lucky or more good?

ElDuque · #1 03-11-2007, 07:00 PM

Reading the Sean Combs inspired this thread.

WRT the addage "it is better to be lucky than good."

For those of you who are successful, or think you are on the road to success, have you been more lucky or more good/talented/driven/focused/etc???

I don't have any wild accomplishments on my resume, but I think I live a high quality life and plan to do so for sometime. I'll likely always be highly employable. I am good enough looking and smart enough.

I'll readily admit that I have been more lucky than good.

A few examples:

1.) born in America
2.) Parents are very well off and always supportive of constructive activities I pursue.
3.) Have made more than a few highly questionable decisions, but none of them ever resulted in serious long-term negative consequences.

On the other hand, I am not a total dolt - i hope - and have made a lot out of my luck. I'm confident/crazy enough to embark on challenges and stubborn enough to overcome them.

But in the end, almost all of what I have and have accomplished would not be possible w/o very good luck.

Artdogg · #2 03-11-2007, 07:04 PM

i think i am more unlucky than not good

oddjob · #3 03-11-2007, 07:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
i think i am more unlucky than not good

[/ QUOTE ]

i find i'm equally unlucky and not good.

mbillie1 · #4 03-11-2007, 07:06 PM

I'm more lucky than good, but my not-good-ness by far outweighs any type of luck I have unless I manage to hit the lottery in the next 48 hours.

NT! · #5 03-11-2007, 07:07 PM

It's easy to forget how lucky we are to be born middle or upper class and white. A lot of the decisions I've made on my own as an adult have been pretty good, and I've been able to do a bunch of stuff that makes me pretty happy without being filthy rich. It's just hard to say how many of my good qualities are the result of parenting and environment.

In general I would say that as an adult I have been more good than lucky. But a goodly portion of that 'good' is a byproduct of my good luck as a child.

Skoob · #6 03-11-2007, 07:14 PM

I'm both, I think.

Being "good," I put myself in better position to take advantage of opportunities that come my way.

And as NT! said, being white and raised in a middle class family helped.

Peter Harris · #7 03-12-2007, 05:38 AM

"the more i practice, the luckier i get"

fish2plus2 · #8 03-12-2007, 08:03 AM

ive been pretty damn lucky.

ElDuque · #9 03-12-2007, 09:44 AM

I think its funny that when you think about for one second it is pretty obvious that we have all been incredibly lucky.

Luisgallo · #10 03-12-2007, 09:59 AM

I studied at same University than many friends of mine, we all graduated within the same year (in Italy you do not graduate all togheter but in several different sessions).
We all started interviewing with good companies then I got 2 job offers:
1) full time job offer with a commercial bank, no risk, decent salary.
2) Intern of 3 months with unknown future at an Italian investment bank

I took the risk taking option 2, without really knowing why besides the fact that it was an investment bank at at that time it just sounded cool!

After that I had a brilliant career in Milan, New York and now London.

Have I been lucky? YES!!! big times!!
Lucky to make the right decision without full information.
Have I been good? I think so, I saw many interns let go after 3 months.

So luck is a matter of timing rather then single event.

It is like in poker, you play AK vs 10 10 you win almost 50% of the time, but if you lose a 50$ SNG and you win a double up at the final table of the WSOP is makes a huge difference.