Born lucky
Sunday, February 26, 2017 by Frogboy | Discussion: Life, the Universe and Everything
I'm on my way to GDC. I write this from first class on a 752-200 from Detroit Metro. 25 years ago I lived in poverty. How did I go from having nothing to being one of those 0.1%ers? The usual, hard work, self-discipline, delayed gratification. But there's another element that rarely gets talked about: Being born lucky.
I took a political test and one of the questions struck me, "Some people are born lucky." as a True or False statement. I remember watching a video of Sargon, a popular political YouTuber, taking this test where he answers no to this question. Let me assure you, some people are born lucky. I would know. I was born lucky.
There is a tendency I've seen with "rich" people I know to believe their wealth is solely due to their virtue and wisdom. But in my experience, being "born lucky" is a pre-requisite to success. The problem with believing in ones own virtue and wisdom when it comes to success is that it is easy to lose empathy for the less fortunate.
Besides being born in the United States I had an advantage that even those who were born rich didn't have. I have almost super-natural good health. I suspect if you were to study rich people, particularly those, like me, who were at one time living in poverty (by USA standards) you will find that unusually good health is something they have in common.
As tempting as it might be to ascribe my health to decisions I made, I know that not to be true. I eat horribly. I don't require more than a few hours of sleep per night. I brush my teeth only when my wife complains my breath is killing the plants even as my dentist tells me "whatever you're doing, keep doing it, you have exceptionally good oral health" (I've never had a cavity and tell the dentist that flossing is his job). I never had to blow my nose until after I had kids. I didn't have a single sick day from K-12 except for chicken pox.
My health isn't something I earned. It was something I was born with. My mom is a mutant as well as I'm not sure I've ever seen her sick. Ever. As in, I'm not sure she's even had a cold.
My unearned health has allowed me to do things that others couldn't do. So many times in my career a given opportunity was only possible because I could work every day for months at a time to get it done. So much of my success can be attributed to my unusually good health. I don't get tired. I don't get sick. Year after year. Even now, my entire family at home is sick. I try to sympathize by pointing out I have a hang nail (advice to others: don't do that, I am not immune to my wife's beatings).
So next time you hear someone ascribe some sort of moral failure on the part of the poor, remember, some of our success really is based on being born lucky.
This week, amongst many meetings, I will be reporting what I find over at www.neowin.com. Also, I trimmed that hangnail.
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Reply #22 Tuesday, February 28, 2017 8:11 PM
While I subscribe to Seneca's "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" philosophy, as that has often been my experience, I think you're 100% right that many successful people seem to forget that at one or more points they maybe had a 50/50 shot or worse of failing miserably. Just because you "made it" by whatever your personal definition of that is, doesn't make you the smartest/wisest/perceptive person in the room.
A nice post Brad.
Reply #23 Tuesday, February 28, 2017 9:26 PM
@ sydneysiders, on Sydney & Melbourne... big cities, etc.
I don't like big cities full stop, with all that hustle and bustle, but I certainly prefer Melbourne over Sydney any day. The inner city of Melboune isn't so metropolitan and concrete canyonish, and the people aren't so 'gotta be there yesterday-ish', either. Sydney, on the other hand, is too full on and uncompromising, with everything going 100mph 24-7.
I don't like Brisbane, either, for much the same reason, and it's worse since I last was in there. For the last 10 years I've lived between 32 and 50 minutes away by train, yet I've not bothered going to Brisbane City even once. All I need is here in Ipswich/Brassall.... and what isn't I can get on-line. Having said that, however, we are moving to Maryborough, up the Qld coast a ways, in the next couple of months.... for an even more relaxed lifestyle.
There's a few reasons as to why, and I don't mind where I am now, but it's a move that will benefit several people in the long term, including a niece of Shaunna's, a family friend, plus my daughter and her kids.
Yup, we're all moving up there to effect was is commonly known as a seachange... not to mention going to a cooler climate, being closer to the coast. Ipswich can be one hell of a hot SOB during Summer, and bitterly cold in Winter, so Maryborough will be a pleasant change for us all.
Reply #24 Tuesday, February 28, 2017 10:22 PM
I'm curious about things: faith, belief, and identity in particular. I'm not especially interested in accruing wealth; I have enough that I don't need to worry. In my universe, success in equals understanding, recognizing that understanding is both fluid and predicated on an almost infinite number of third variables.
Could you explain "luck", as you define it, and how it relates to your understanding of free will/free choice, and fatalism? I'm legitimately curious.
Reply #25 Friday, March 10, 2017 10:06 AM
The post seems like an intentional contradiction to prove a point.
On one hand you were born lucky, but on the other hand you worked hard for what you've achieved.
Based on things you've said in the past on this forum, I'm waiting for the "gotcha" when you post again...
I'm betting the gotcha lies somewhere between the actual value of a 1 million to 200 million inheritance and a presidential campaign victory. 
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Reply #21 Tuesday, February 28, 2017 8:08 AM
Melbourne [where I am] has been the World's most livable city for several years.
I spent a few weeks in Melb after Christmas...stayed in Lonsdale St... lovely wide, tree lined street...2 mins from Chinatown...great choice of restaurants for dinner every night....top spot..
Haven't been back for about 25 years and must say it's gone ahead leaps and bounds and had a lovely time re-exploring the city and exploring Southbank etc. Took a cruise up the Yarra, took in a coupla exhibitions, a wander down Chapel St and an amble around the Chapel St Bazaar and revisiting some favourite haunts like Pellegrinis.
The whole feel of the city was more elegant and relaxed than the helter skelter of Sydney and everyone was so relaxed and friendly.
Enjoyed it so much started thinking I could move back quite easily...and started checking out real estate... then started remembering the longer, colder winters...
Sydney's harbour is stunning...the Bridge...the Opera House and I am lucky enough to live on the harbour, but if I had to live further out with the heat and the traffic, I would be back in Melbourne in a shot...winter or no winter.
My brother is moving back to Oz with his American wife from Seattle, and I've told him Melb is the best place for them to settle...far more sophisticated and cosmopolitan with their love of the coffee and tea industry. Sent him heaps of pics and they are sold on the place.
I left the day before the unfortunate incident in Bourke St Mall... I was in the Mall at the same time the day before which bought it even closer to home...
Melbourne has the best day trips an hour to and hour and a half out of the city....don't bother in Sydney...traffic too bad... but some lovely inner harbour beach spots close to home I must say...
Best plan.. win lotto... summer in Melb and winter in Syd... sorted... almost...
going to buy lotto ticket...
(Melb drivers are nuts tho!!)