Being successful is mostly luck but working smartly (skill plus hard work) increases your luck. The trick is to balance intellectual honesty (it’s mostly luck) with controlled self-deception (success is due to skill and hard work). If you are too honest, you become pessimistic and if you’re too self-deceptive you get a false sense that everyone less successful is lazy or dumb.
Watch the video Is Success Luck or Hard Work?.
See also:
- Emotional intelligence is more important for entreprenuerial success than general mental ability
- It’s easier to blame others for lack of success but it is more correct to blame bad luck
- The easiest person to fool is yourself especially when it’s about your contributions towards your own success