'Captain America' star Anthony Mackie: 'We're lying to our kids' when we say success comes just from hard work—luck is key, too
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Marvel star Anthony Mackie says success has as much to do with luck and connections as with talent. Highly successful people like Mark Cuban agree.

Put simply, being in the right place at the right time, and having connections, can be as important as having the skills and experience.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
    2·
    6 months ago

    I always tell my kids, you can try your best and still fail. Sometimes you will succeed without any effort at all. Luck will affect the outcome of anything you do.

    But you have to be ready for the luck. You have to work hard to be in a position to take advantage. Hard work can mitigate your failures, and any effort you put into doing your best is never wasted because you’re trying to be the best version of yourself.

    That’s why you try. Not because you might win and get wealth and fame and glory. You try because you want to be the person who tries.

    See also, honesty, kindness, generosity, forgiveness. These are not things we do to be rewarded. The universe (not to mention other people) is going to let you down more often than not. You should still be honest and kind and generous and forgiving and hardworking because that’s the person you want to be.

      • Reyali@lemm.ee
        0·
        6 months ago

        Talent, dedication, and luck. Spot on.

        I am very successful in my career and earn more than my school-age self ever expected (tbf, I expected to be a teacher). I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all three, though.

        Lucky points include:

        • Being the kid of small business owners who gave me/made me get a job with them at 16.
        • Knowing someone at a company who recommended me for an internship.
        • Working adjacent to a badass development team that made the best proof of concept to build a new app, so they brought me to their team to support it.
        • My Lead retiring so I was able to move to her level after only a couple years.

        I wouldn’t have gotten those opportunities if I didn’t also have the dedication and talent, but luck was a huge factor.

        I have tried the metaphor that luck opened doors for me, but I had to get to and walk through them. I will never take where I am today for granted.

  • SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world
    1·
    6 months ago

    My high-school economics professor was such a smart dude.

    The most important part of his entire class was driving home the truth that no matter how hard you work, your success will always be determined mostly by luck.

    And how economies aren’t something to “win” but a tool for society to give people what they need/want in exchange for contributing to society.