Why would anyone pretend there’s no such thing as luck?

I think I’m fortunate! I say that because I’m in love, I have a wonderful family, I have an excellent job, and I’m healthy, with a sunny disposition and a bicycle. My life has been easy.

If I say “I’m lucky,”? the people who love me would interject…?

“That’s unfair - you’ve worked hard for what you have.”?

I don’t like that correction, and I wanted to explain why I feel it’s a vital miss-step to ignore luck.

In a world where individualism and meritocracy reign supreme, the idea that factors beyond our control may influence our successes and failures can be disempowering. This notion of "luck" challenges our beliefs about the importance of hard work and merit in determining outcomes. Yet, the reality is that external factors such as socioeconomic background, race, gender, and even random chance can play a significant role in shaping our lives.

It’s OK to be lucky - to talk about luck. We owe it to all the people out there who are unlucky. There are a tonne of people who are seriously unlucky, and not acknowledging it is daft and worse, might even compound their issues.

1. Why would we even pretend there’s “no such thing as luck”?
2. Can we prove that good and bad luck exist?
3. Why Do I Want to Have the Term Luck back?
4. What’s the political implication of pretending luck isn’t a thing?
5. Caveat: Making Your Luck

1 - Why would we even pretend there’s “no such thing as luck”?

The concept of luck can be disempowering because it suggests that success or failure is primarily determined by external factors, rather than our efforts and abilities. This can be particularly difficult for those who have worked hard to achieve their goals only to find that external circumstances have thwarted their efforts. It can lead to feelings of helplessness and frustration and a sense of injustice that can be difficult to reconcile.

Moreover, the idea of luck can also generate feelings of guilt, especially for those who have achieved little success in life. It can make us question whether we truly deserved our accomplishments or were simply the result of being in the right place at the right time. We may even feel that our success has come at the expense of less fortunate others. This can lead to a sense of unease and discomfort that can be difficult to shake.

Another consequence of the concept of luck is that it can be seen as unfair. The notion that external factors beyond our control can play a significant role in our success can challenge the deeply ingrained belief in meritocracy. We like to think that we are in control of our destiny and that hard work and effort will always be rewarded. The idea of luck undermines this belief, suggesting that success may be determined more by chance than by effort or merit.

These things mean we have the motive to hope luck doesn’t exist.?

2 - Can we prove that good and bad luck exist?

It’s accepted that there’s a good amount of randomness and chaos to the occurrences in life. It’s inevitable that some people have more things go their way than others. Most will have some things go their way and others not go their way. Others, in the minority, will be outliers and have very few things falling favorably for them, just as a small group of people at the other end of the spectrum will win out more than average. The latter group are lucky.

There is an endless river of randomness flowing through our lives. Where we’re born matters. Our ethnicity influences how we’re treated. How do first friends at school behave. How old we were when our first pet passed away? Where we went to school.

Takeaway: There is something called luck. If you’ve tended to have more things go your way through life than average - that’s lucky.

3 - Why Do I Want to Have the Term Luck back?

There are several very personal reasons. It might be that these translate to others - it might not.

i. As someone who manages some super talented people at a great company, I confess to experiencing a dose of imposter syndrome. I know I'm not alone in this, as many (maybe most) others struggle with the same thing. In the ten+ years I've been at the company it's grown from 6 to 200+ people. I've worked hard every week for 12 years to earn my position, ready every book going, studied anything I could possibly need to, attended every event, sat on every panel, etc. but luck played a significant role in my journey, and I acknowledge that. Any false pretense would make not allow room for realistically reviewing your own progress.

ii. Gratitude is crucial to me. At every point in our lives, we have things to be thankful for. It's vital to recognize and appreciate them. Every beautiful view, chance encounter, rewarding day's work, or even a delicious sandwich deserves gratitude. If I were to assume that I earned everything I have, which is not entirely accurate, I would not be showing the appropriate level of gratitude. Instead, I would be taking credit for something that "luck" has blessed me with.

4 - What’s the political implication of pretending luck isn’t a thing?

A strain of right-wing political rhetoric promotes the idea of pulling oneself out of poverty. This philosophy encourages people to be given the tools to succeed and compete in the world, motivating them to be ambitious and self-serving, leading to prosperity for all. While this approach contains some valid insights, it's crucial not to overlook the critical roles that luck and opportunity play in determining one's ability to succeed.?

Margaret Thatcher, who rose from a council flat upbringing to become Prime Minister, was a strong proponent of this "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" ideology, emphasizing personal responsibility and ambition as the key to success. However, the reality is that while a few individuals may thrive despite challenging circumstances, the vast majority of those in positions of power and privilege are born into wealth and privilege. Ignoring this fact is naive and undermines the validity of the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" philosophy.

The idea that someone born into poverty has the same opportunity for success as someone who attends Eton for example is more than naive. It compounds the problem as it removes our obligation to level the playing field. Any political movement that assumes people's challenges are their fault entirely is not going to drive fast enough toward equity!

5 - Caveat: Making Your Luck

This could be an entire book from one of the super-smart set, like Simon Sinek or James Clear, but I’m going to touch on it briefly as it’s so integral to any conversation about luck.

While luck can seem like a purely external factor, there are things you can do to increase your chances of success. Practicing good nutrition, getting enough sleep, meditating, pursuing education, developing skills, and visualizing can make it easier to recognize and seize opportunities when they arise. The more prepared you are to manage challenges and take advantage of opportunities, the luckier you will appear. Personally, I'm a big proponent of this philosophy and work hard to prepare myself for opportunities that may come my way. However, it's important to remember that while creating your luck can help you reduce the likelihood of bad luck, it cannot eliminate it.

Conclusion

I reclaim the right to say it - I’m Lucky. That means I have got where I have in part with the help of good fortune. That means I must be grateful and to support other people who might not yet have had their fair share of luck.

With the use of the phrase “I’m lucky” I’m better able to practice gratitude and I don’t set myself apart from others based on their successes.

“There, but for the grace of God, go I!”