What do you think determines your success - or failure - in life? Is it your own actions, the actions of others (perhaps most especially, your parents) or luck/fate/probability?
I think anyone with half a brain or more would have to realize that all three factors are important. I think we're all familiar, for example, with the phenomenon of the person who was "born on third base and thinks he hit a home run" (i.e. someone born to a wealthy/powerful/well- educated family, but still somehow considers himself/herself a "self-made" person). But I think we do have different opinions about the relative importance of these factors.
So, I'm creating this discussion with 3 parts, allowing you to rate, as a percentage, how important you think each factor is in determining your success or failure. Think about it before you answer; your answers to the 3 polls should add up to 100%. Thanks for participating! :)
How important to your success (or failure) are your own actions, the actions of others, and luck?
Invited: All users.
Discussion Topics
1.
How important is luck (aka fate/chance/probabilit y) in determining your success or failure in life?
(14 posts)
2.
How important are the actions of others in determining your success or failure in life?
(5 posts)
3.
How important are your own actions in determining your success or failure in life?
(6 posts)
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by random factors, i.e., things beyond your control?
03/07/2013
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Most things in your life you don't have control over, but if you take pride in who you are, you'd never stop doing what you think you should.
03/07/2013
Quote:
maybe 50%?
Originally posted by
spiced
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by random factors, i.e., things beyond your control?
03/07/2013
In terms of specific success, probably 40-50. For example, someone who wants to study medicine could change their focus based on a lot of things. The actual getting to your goal is mostly work and making opportunities
03/07/2013
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At least 50%
Originally posted by
spiced
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by random factors, i.e., things beyond your control?
03/07/2013
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i said 20. but i'm thinking now that it's way higher.
Originally posted by
spiced
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by random factors, i.e., things beyond your control?
03/08/2013
I would say at least 50%.
03/08/2013
50%
03/09/2013
Luck is just an illusion of seemingly causeless things happening your life, but on a wide enough scale, luck is simply the loose threads that meet up with your life coming off a chain of everybody taking actions in their life. I don't know how you can believe in cause & effect AND luck.
03/10/2013
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I believe in cause and effect — but there will always be chaos, which creates vastly different, essentially random outcomes. For one small example: a tornado wipes out all the houses on one side of a street, leaving the houses on the other side largely untouched. This kind of randomness occurs every day, and every life is touched many, many times by this type of unpredictable, uncontrollable randomness.
Originally posted by
Raymaker
Luck is just an illusion of seemingly causeless things happening your life, but on a wide enough scale, luck is simply the loose threads that meet up with your life coming off a chain of everybody taking actions in their life. I don't know how
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Luck is just an illusion of seemingly causeless things happening your life, but on a wide enough scale, luck is simply the loose threads that meet up with your life coming off a chain of everybody taking actions in their life. I don't know how you can believe in cause & effect AND luck.
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Consider also where and when you were born, whether you were born with birth defects (or tremendous native intelligence, etc), or to whom you were born(and what their circumstances/educatio n/finances/etc are). No one gets to pick their parents or the rest of these things. And I don't think anyone could seriously argue that these things don't have major impacts on your prospects in life.
You could argue, and correctly so (on one level), that everything which seems random is, in reality, an effect created by a cause. But for the practical purposes of planning and living our lives, there will always be unpredictable, uncontrollable events which have huge impacts on us. Some of these risks, we can mitigate. For example, we can build savings and/or buy insurance. But there will always be MANY things in life completely beyond our control.
03/10/2013
I think it varies for everyone!
03/12/2013
This is a complicated question. After all, randomness affects us all in several different ways every day. Often times, we don't notice it or it doesn't affect us in any visible or tangible way.
Very long story short, I'd say not too much.
Very long story short, I'd say not too much.
01/29/2015
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I think the randomness varies from one person to another.
Originally posted by
spiced
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by random factors, i.e., things beyond your control?
01/30/2015
My life has been one roll of the dice after another.
02/08/2015
Total posts: 14
Unique posters: 13
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by the actions of others, e.g., by your parents, teachers, employers, taxpayers/voters or other people?
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%)
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%)
03/07/2013
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20 again. these things can be overcome...as long as we are not dealing at all with illness and disease passed on by parents.
Originally posted by
spiced
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by the actions of others, e.g., by your parents, teachers, employers, taxpayers/voters or other people?
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to ... more
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to ... more
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by the actions of others, e.g., by your parents, teachers, employers, taxpayers/voters or other people?
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%) less
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%) less
03/08/2013
I would say about 70 myself, 20 other people, and 10 percent "luck". There's a lot of things you don't have control over, but you do have a lot of control as to how you react to those things. And in the end, that's really what matters.
03/08/2013
Well, I think the actions of others are sadly very important. For example, if someone has really horrible parents and teachers, that kind of sets them up for a lot of failure.
03/09/2013
The actions of other sets the tone for your life/setting/scenario, but ultimately half of everything that comes your way is based upon how you decide to act.
03/10/2013
Total posts: 5
Unique posters: 5
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by your own actions?
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%)
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%)
03/07/2013
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60...in the end, i don't think you can blame others...in general. there are exceptions, of course. i like to think that i have a good hand in my fate.
Originally posted by
spiced
What percentage of your success or failure in life is determined by your own actions?
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%)
(Remember, your answers to this and the other two polls should add up to 100%)
03/08/2013
You are in control of your own life
03/08/2013
I don't think I'd have done nearly as well if I'd been born someplace without a good public educational system, good public infrastructure or a good economy. Or if I'd been born into poverty or to bad parents, or to parents who weren't well-educated and -traveled. So the actions of others have had MAJOR impacts on my life.
And I've been lucky because of when I was born and some people I've met randomly who've had HUGE impacts on my life. I do believe it's somewhat possible to "make your own luck" — a significant amount, anyway, mainly by understanding risk factors and doing things (like building savings) to manage those risks. But there will always be A LOT that's completely out of our control and it's unwise not to be aware of that.
I do think it's best to focus primarily on the parts of our lives which we CAN control — for the simple reason that that's (obviously, no?) where we have the power to impact our success/failure through our choices, our actions (or lack thereof), our habits and the way we take care of ourselves and treat others.
I say, recognize and work to pay forward the benefits you've received from others, make as much of your own luck as you can (and take steps to hedge against bad luck) - and above all, dare to be the master of your fate.
And I've been lucky because of when I was born and some people I've met randomly who've had HUGE impacts on my life. I do believe it's somewhat possible to "make your own luck" — a significant amount, anyway, mainly by understanding risk factors and doing things (like building savings) to manage those risks. But there will always be A LOT that's completely out of our control and it's unwise not to be aware of that.
I do think it's best to focus primarily on the parts of our lives which we CAN control — for the simple reason that that's (obviously, no?) where we have the power to impact our success/failure through our choices, our actions (or lack thereof), our habits and the way we take care of ourselves and treat others.
I say, recognize and work to pay forward the benefits you've received from others, make as much of your own luck as you can (and take steps to hedge against bad luck) - and above all, dare to be the master of your fate.
03/09/2013
You can only do so much when you're born or placed into certain circumstances. 50%
03/10/2013
Maybe 50 or 60%
03/11/2013
Total posts: 6
Unique posters: 5