Community Chat

[bathina]

@Chicagosuburban- does the "divine" favor some people and disfavor others?

[bikerbabe]

Can I repeat again that success has nothing to do with money… or job or promotions or social standing or any measure of material success?

The day she died my mother had almost no material possessions and she was not financially independent but she was the most “successful” person in life that I’ve ever known. 💕

[pigletsmom]

I don't think luck has much to do with it. You can be born to a rich family and end up drug addicted on the street. You can be born to drug addicted parents and no you never want to end up that way and do everything to go out and be sucessful.

I do think if you're sitting around thinking that it takes luck to get really rich you should probably stop thinking about that and get moving. I also think every teacher in this country should be asking their students what they want to do when they grow up and encouraging them all the way through school on how to do that. Any teacher or parent or anyone else who tells a child that they wont ever be able to do something because of their start in life is guilty of child abuse in my opinion.

[Still Stylish Lady]

DH has a favorite saying from Louis Pasteur. "Chance favors the prepared mind." I think that says it all. 

[suzyQ3]

I think that in this discussion, success is defined either financially or achieving something important. I don't think that it's about love or family. That's another discussion.

Those who discount luck and inherent circumstances are fooling themselves. People who think that they did all by themselves tend to disparage those who somehow didn't make it. Certainly pat yourself on the back for hard work that paid off, but at least have the grace to acknowledge that it wasn't all your doing.

None of us live in a vaccum. The idea of the self-made man, while appealing, has social and political ramifications that might not always be compatible with our ideals and principles.

[suzyQ3]

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@Still Stylish Lady wrote:

DH has a favorite saying from Louis Pasteur. "Chance favors the prepared mind." I think that says it all. 

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@Still Stylish Lady, and exactly where does this "prepared mind" come from? Who prepared this mind?

Sure, some rise above their whole environment, but I'd bet my last dollar that it's far, far easier for those with a leg up of some sort.

[QueenDanceALot]

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@bikerbabe wrote:
Can I repeat again that success has nothing to do with money… or job or promotions or social standing or any measure of material success?

The day she died my mother had almost no material possessions and she was not financially independent but she was the most “successful” person in life that I’ve ever known. 💕

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@bikerbabe 

"Success" hasn't been defined here.

There are indeed many people who define success as making a lot of money, having a high level job, getting lots of promotions, social standing and material success.

[Porcelain]

I've known/know many successful people and they are not in any way superior to anyone else. They have just as many problems as anyone else and they definitely complain just as much, sometimes more!

A few of them have these set motivational speeches they perform from time to time about mindset and never giving up. But in private they whine and have bad habits just like the rest of us. Many suffer deeply from imposter syndrome. So don't belive the hype, because that's what it is. Hype.

[QueenDanceALot]

I can't believe that anyone actually believes that there is a level playing field.

I'm sure that there are others here whose parent or guardian or coach or teacher said to them when they complained or whined about someone getting something they didn't get,

"Who ever told you that life was fair?"

I know my father said it quite a lot when my brother and I were growing up.

And really, unless "success" is defined here, the responses are going to be all over the place.