Are you ‘lucky’ If you’ve done well for yourself?

[MissMessy12]

If you have a nice home, financially comfortable, happy family life does it annoy you when people comment on how ‘lucky’ you are?
To me luck is about chance, winning the lottery for example or being in the right place at the right time.
Everything I have, I’ve worked hard for, in my opinion has nothing to do with luck.

The thing is EVERYONE in the U.K. is ‘lucky’ even if you grew up in care and now live in a council flat with no carpet and nothing to your name you’re still ‘lucky’ you were born here with a benefit system and not in a mud hut with no running water or free health care.

Yes. Not sure that's a gotcha against the argument that luck plays a part? Given that the argument is that everyone has some luck, and therefore it plays a part in all our lives to one degree or another

The thing is EVERYONE in the U.K. is ‘lucky’ even if you grew up in care and now live in a council flat with no carpet and nothing to your name you’re still ‘lucky’ you were born here with a benefit system and not in a mud hut with no running water or free health care

Yes, everyone is lucky. But some are luckier than others, and it would appear that the lucky often fail to understand just how much.

My point is that everyone waving their fists at people with more than them saying ‘they’re lucky’ tend to consider themselves not to be. When in reality pretty much everyone in the U.K. is. It’s all about perceptions.

I see a lot of posters on MN who are very bitter toward ‘high earners’ or people they perceive ‘lucky’. The term lucky itself implies they didn’t really do anything to deserve it themselves so it pretty derogatory in most uses.

I think a lot of people who feel bitter towards those they perceive ‘lucky’ would do well to appreciate that with a free education system, health care system and (by non western standards) generous benefit system, perhaps their own choices in life are what makes the difference.

it would appear that the lucky often fail to understand just how much. That! It has no give, no grey, it's just a negative attitude towards anyone who has done what? Well? Better than? Something else? Based on what? what baseline measurement? Or is it always a personal perspective?

And again depends entirely on what you understand as luck, lucky, luckier...

It really is all about perceptions.

My point is that everyone waving their fists at people with more than them saying ‘they’re lucky’ tend to consider themselves not to be. When in reality pretty much everyone in the U.K. is. It’s all about perceptions

It's about context. Someone doing very badly in the UK is not going to feel lucky just because they are not in a basement in Syria hiding from bombs, and its ridiculous to suggest that they should.

Yes, by worldwide metrics of course you are lucky, but f you've lost your job and you don't know where your kids next meal is going to come from you're hardly sitting there counting your luck, thinking god, I'm glad I was born in the UK, it's like winning a lottery!

It IS about perspective. Get some.

That! It has no give, no grey, it's just a negative attitude towards anyone who has done what? Well? Better than? Something else? Based on what? what baseline measurement? Or is it always a personal perspective?

You do realise that acknowledging luck or privilege is not a criticism? Plenty of people here acknowledged their own luck

I think a lot of people who feel bitter towards those they perceive ‘lucky’ would do well to appreciate that with a free education system, health care system and (by non western standards) generous benefit system, perhaps their own choices in life are what makes the difference.

This is wilfully ignoring all the people who made good choices but life dealt them some extra difficulties, such as ill health, a personal crisis, whatever.

Basically a very Victorian attitude - deserving and undeserving poor.

Love the idea that hard work is paying off a car and paying the same monthly amount into savings. Where to even start with that one!

Basically yes you are massively lucky. You won the birth lottery. Congratulations. Now stop moaning and start using your power and wealth to help those who lost.

@unchienandalusia

These threads always miss out a key factor. Ability/talent.

Do you not think having ability/talent is luck?

It’s not your hard work that’s given you the ability or talent.

@BefuddledPerson

I think a lot of people who feel bitter towards those they perceive ‘lucky’ would do well to appreciate that with a free education system, health care system and (by non western standards) generous benefit system, perhaps their own choices in life are what makes the difference.

This is wilfully ignoring all the people who made good choices but life dealt them some extra difficulties, such as ill health, a personal crisis, whatever.

Basically a very Victorian attitude - deserving and undeserving poor.

It’s also misses that the education you receive is very different depending on the school you go to. Oversubscribed schools with engaged parents tend to have better outcomes then schools that aren’t and with parents that aren’t engaged.

@SoVeryLost no. It's genetics. And genetics is not luck.

I would have though genetics is the epitome of luck.

@SinkGirl

That! It has no give, no grey, it's just a negative attitude towards anyone who has done what? Well? Better than? Something else? Based on what? what baseline measurement? Or is it always a personal perspective?

You do realise that acknowledging luck or privilege is not a criticism? Plenty of people here acknowledged their own luck

You do realise that people who don't believe in luck, do believe in chances, opportunities and the possibility of failure, but not some cosmic force that controls anything, feel that it is!?

And either perception is wrong, just different.

You aren't going to persuade me that I have been lucky or unlucky n any part of my life. That's how YOU might see it. And how someone else views my life is entirely based on their own benchmarks. Bugger all to do with me!

Cosmic force? You’re talking about fate. Luck is success brought about by chance, not predestined.

@speakout

I would have though genetics is the epitome of luck.

Quite.

The entire workings of the universe are based on chaos and chance - our abilities to survive or thrive within it are largely determined by human made oppressive systems that limit access to resources according to who and where you’re from. There’s a lot of talk about privilege these days but what that really means is some groups of people are less exploited than others, and that success or ‘doing well for yourself’ means someone somewhere is being exploited. Eg providing free or underpaid child or elder or other care so you can go to work.

But what is work for most people if not the least exploitive deal they can broker for themselves?

As far as I'm concerned luck (good or bad) is simply anything that is out of your control. Whether that's where you are born, a job opportunity appearing at the right time, disability, having healthy kids, etc.

[quote unchienandalusia]@SoVeryLost no. It's genetics. And genetics is not luck. [/quote]
How are genetics not down to luck or chance?

You do realise that people who don't believe in luck, do believe in chances, opportunities and the possibility of failure, but not some cosmic force that controls anything, feel that it is!?
Luck is chance. "Cosmic force"?

As far as I'm concerned luck (good or bad) is simply anything that is out of your control. Whether that's where you are born, a job opportunity appearing at the right time, disability, having healthy kids, etc.

Exactly this. What often makes the difference is how you deal with the luck/chance opportunities. That's where hard work, determination and personality make a difference.
No amount of hard work could have changed some of the bad thing that have happened to me ( mum being killed by her partner, car accident which left me with a serious back injury etc) but the way I dealt with those situations did make a difference to my success. I've also made the most of positive opportunities that have come my way - funding for a postgraduate course, additional responsibilities at work which led to promotion.

Acknowledging luck or chance doesn't detract from your hard work and it doesn't absolve those who make poor choices. It's just how life works!

Genetics is definitely an example of luck. You have no control over the genes you're given.