To ask if you believe you’ve lived a luckier life than most?

[MyAmusedOpalCrab]

Whether it’s down to circumstances, timing, support, or sheer chance - do you ever stop and think, “I’ve had it easier than others?” Or do you believe we mostly make our own luck?

I’ve had a lot of luck in life; and I’ve found that the harder I work the more luck I have!

Lucky, yes.

Although I have had cerebral palsy from birth and struggle to walk with my crutches I count myself as lucky. Luck is relative.

I am not in a wheelchair, I can speak and I don't have anxiety or depression.

I often think that people don't appreciate their luck and good fortune. There is always someone who is not as lucky as you.

Then you have not lived a life luckier than most.

Is it "luck" though.

I dont think luck is the right word. It is too small of a word.

And unlucky is too small of a word, for the whole chain of events, that makes an adult become abusive to their child

When I read some of the posts on here I realise how lucky and sheltered my life has been.

I'm nearly 60 so there's still time for things to go wrong, but so far I am very grateful for the life that I've had.

But the family and circumstances that you were born into are pure luck and that usually determines how your life is going to be.

Yes I think I have been lucky. Had a v good public sector career. Had 4 children without any intervention. Lived in lovely houses. No-one in my family has had any life threatening illnesses or accidents. Now happily retired with money worries. Keep waiting for the axe to fall.

I don't think that luck is the correct word in that instance.

We live in a world with wealth and poverty.

Babies are going to have to be born into wealthy and poor families, as that is what currently exists in society.

But the society was designed by us.

We could easily decide to make sure that everyone in society has a basic standard of living. .

Then, in the future, no babies would be born into poverty.

It is nothing really to do with luck.

I often think I've had it easier than other family members and other people I come into contact with. I've had 3 healthy pregnancies and children which I am so grateful for. I think the bereavements I have experienced, as upsetting as they were, were typical of what we all experience ie nor a child or parent at a young age. I really do count my blessings and look at things with a positive spin. If I do think about it though I wouldn't say I've had much more luck than the average person. I have experienced some traumatic things. I work very hard and come from a background that meant I didn't get any leg up in my eduction or career, I've probably had to work a lot harder than many people who have come from more affluent backgrounds. I've had to really work on my vocabulary and grammar as an adult as I grew up around people who didn't use it correctly and I was never encouraged to read. I had to work when I was at college and I didn't actually go to uni until I was 30 as I had no examples around me of university education or careers. Everyone I knew did working class jobs such as retail, factory work, hospitality etc. So I didn't have any ideas or ambitions for a career when I was a teen. I do think that things are changing to support more social mobility now as my children get lots of career advice at school.
So I suppose to sum it up I do feel very lucky but I think that is more about a positive mindset and the background I came from. If someone from a more affluent background had my life they probably wouldn't feel so lucky.

I think I was lucky to be born in the UK, I know people are constantly putting the place down for various reasons, but I feel fortunate because nobody can tell me to go elsewhere or that I don't belong, it must be hard living somewhere where you don't have that security and sense of belonging.
Other than that, I am lucky for a whole host of other reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with wealth. Being wealthy just means you might get to die in a bigger bed !

Yes, I feel that I have had luck and good fortune on my side. Born to two loving parents who provided a happy and secure childhood in a country with (relatively) good free education and health service. Brought up to have a strong moral compass. Siblings who I and still am close to. Attended university just before fees started. These lucky circumstances were the bedrock for the future decisions that I made as an adult, I.e the man that I married (solid, dependable, similar values), the career that I have (NHS, not earning the big bucks but love what I do, and feel I am contributing to society), how I raise my children etc. I also think that I am generally a glass half-full person, but often think that I l am able to see life in this way because of the luck that I have had. I’m 46 now and aware that life and luck can change in an instant. Knowing this, I I try to live fully in the moment and appreciate the little things every day.

Well aren’t you the glass half empty type 😂

A child in India with no access to education would love the opportunity to have any kind of education.

Life is never going to be ‘fair’. Someone will always be richer, prettier, stronger, cleverer, luckier etc, etc. Everything is relative.

But on the whole, easy access to education and healthcare in the UK makes us very lucky.

I look at it this way I have seen a lot of tragedy and loss in my life including looseing a child .
But I've also got alot to be grateful for so yes in alot of ways I am lucky I have a staple home and marriage 3 kids and food on the table.

Life could be fairer than it is actually. But people keep wanting more and more for themselves.
At present we are a selfish, materialistc society and we don't think that much about the suffering of others.

I think that society will eventually evolve to realise that when you stop other people suffering, it actually helps all of society.

I don’t disagree that things could be fairer, the trouble is that fairness doesn’t exist in nature. It’s a man made concept. That’s why nobody can ever really agree on what ‘fair’ actually is.

However fair you try to make things, some people will still have disabilities, or illnesses, or lack intelligence, or be unattractive, or have some other disadvantage relative to others. There is no fairness in nature. If you pay an unintelligent person the same as an intelligent person, the intelligent person will argue that’s not fair, because what they produce is more valuable.

This leads to the other problem which is that in order for someone to be rich, then somebody else has to be poor. For decades, the UK has exploited workers in other countries, because people want cheap clothes and goods, and they don’t care where they come from, just so long as they are cheap. The problem is much bigger than just society level, but when it comes to other countries, out of sight is out of mind.

I don’t believe that we will ever live in a fair world, but we should still recognise when we are fortunate, relative to many, many other people.

I’m sort of comparing to Afghanistan.

You said "somebody has to be poor".

Nobody needs to be poor actually in the Uk.

There should be a basic standard met for all humans. That everyone has shelter, food and a basic income.

That we still havent reached that point yet in 2025 is disappointing. There are.still so many homeless people on the streets.

They are trialling a universal basic income in other societies. Thay means that everyone would get the same minimum amount of money. Then if they want to earn more, they can

I think my biggest piece of “luck” was in initially having good parents and a nice, financially secure and stable childhood.

My life has been unspectacular but good with plenty of reasons to be happy. I feel like my childhood set me up to work hard and achieve what I set out to achieve and also it meant that I have the resilience and support networks when things haven’t gone well.

Yes I have really..Until the last few years since my mum has developed dementia. My brother has mental issues And can't help so it's all on me now. But the first fifty or so years have given me little to no complaints

I hate when people say "no, I don't think luck had anything to do with it, it's all hard work - the harder you work, the luckier you are".

I worked hard to overcome a neglected and abusive childhood, I worked hard to do well at school, I worked hard to stay at uni after getting pregnant, I worked hard immediately after graduating, I worked very hard in a job where I helped save lives every day then I worked bloody hard at my PGCE and I worked incredibly hard as a teacher.

None of that hard work stopped me getting a brain tumour a year after qualifying, losing everything I'd worked for and being stuck on benefits.

It is 0% hard work and 100% luck, because you can be the hardest worker in the world but the second your luck turns, all that hard work falls apart.

Yes definitely. At various key points in my life, luck was definitely on my side.

I also worked hard and had a lot of ability. But luck played an important role also.

It could all go south of course. Gotta be prepared for all eventualities.

I feel like this has become some kind of skewed race to the bottom thread. I opened it expecting to read about posters who invariably find the pound coin left in the trolly, or who have left every umbrella they’ve ever owned on the bus…

And meanwhile there are families living in tents in refugee camps because they got bombed out of their homes and watched their loved ones be blown apart....
Peak MN.

Not me sadly. Yes i was born in a wealthy country but have siffered abuse that still affects me to this day..

I am sure there are plenty of people in the UK who have had very bad luck - however I think that either you look at this question just through personal circumstance or through a wider lens.

we are so unbelievably lucky to be born in a country like the UK. It’s not perfect but there’s healthcare, a strong democratic system, education, civil protections, a functioning legal system. None of these things are perfect I know.

also another key thing is health. If you have good health you are very lucky. My MIL used to work with wheelchair users. She always says that if you can get out of bed in the morning on your own and put one foot in front of the other then you’re luckier than a lot of people. A bit bleak maybe, but true.