When a liberal brings up luck, it's a surefire bet that they can't argue with any position you've taken. It's usually a knee-jerk response to any comment that you've managed to build a great life and other people can, too.
I used to let the "aren't you lucky" comments roll off my back. But after the first five or six times a liberal tells you that the reason you've managed to put together a good life is because you're "lucky," you begin to realize that they aren't congratulating you. They are belittling your enterprise, skill, and ingenuity.
Well, it wasn't luck that created the life I currently lead. It was hard work and dedication, sprinkled with some education and persistence.
But in the spirit of "luck," I decided to list a few things that I am, in fact, luck for having.
--I'm lucky that me and mine are all relatively healthy.
--I'm lucky to live in the United States, where the government isn't stopping me from pursuing my dreams.
--I'm lucky that I still have one living parent.
--I'm lucky my sister is here to take care of Dad this week.
--I'm lucky that my children are all wonderful and above average.
--I'm lucky that there's still some chocolate ice cream in the refrigerator.
I can't think of anything else that I have or I'm grateful for that isn't a direct result of some choice or action by me or my relatives. For example, I was going to say that I was lucky my children only have to walk around the corner to school, but we planned to live in this location, so there wasn't any luck involved there.
In any event, there are some things I am happy that I've been lucky for.
I think you've hit one of the key differences in worldview between liberals and conservatives, and it's worth talking about for a bit.
ReplyDeleteYou believe that hard work, dedication, education, and persistence created the life you lead. I don't know if that's true, so I have to take you at your word.
But the thing is, I *know* people who work hard, who are dedicated and persistent, who are unable to get ahead and who are stuck in horrible financial and/or emotional situations. Their hard work, dedication, and persistence were not enough.
So why do some hard working, persistent, dedicated individuals succeed while others fail? Because some have better luck; because the options which were available to some, the choices they could choose from, were better off to start with.
I would not denigrate hard work, dedication, persistence, or education; they are necessary to success. But they are not sufficient; you need those things, and some luck, too.
In a way I agree with Aphrael, but not totally. It's been said that "the harder I work, the luckier I get," and that's generally true, but certainly not always.
ReplyDeleteMy darling bride is a pediatric nurse, and I get to hear all of the horror stories from the hospital -- and I realize just how lucky we are that our kids were all born healthy and normal. Being an American helps with that luck. But it also helps that we haven't done stupid things like smoke or abuse drugs.
But if working hard doesn't always guarantee a good result (some people work very hard but have awful luck), it is true that working hard leads to good luck a lot more often than not working hard.
A added: "So why do some hard working, persistent, dedicated individuals succeed while others fail? Because some have better luck; because the options which were available to some, the choices they could choose from, were better off to start with."
Well, there's one other component that has to be mentioned. There is one other trait besides indolence which accompanies bad luck, and that's stupidity. I've seen an unfortunately large sample of hard-luck people who were just plain dumb, and whose hard luck could frequently be traced back to some really stupid decisions.
Actually, I'm well aware that I have been very blessed in my life. My parents stayed married throughout my childhood, for instance, and my father was willing to work whatever job would support us. Also, in the late 1960s, they bought a small house for $10,000 and raised us there (giving more stability).
ReplyDeleteI'm also fortunate that I was raised in an area of town and at a time where crime and drugs weren't very available, and that my parents made sure we knew we were expected to do well regardless of our circumstances.
When I married the first time, we bought a tiny (2 bdrm, 1 bath) house that remained my home after the divorce. I spent a total of 14 years in that crackerbox (when I remarried, my husband moved in), and had three children (thank God for bunkbeds!) in a home that was cheaper than most apartments. Because I spent so long in that tiny, cramped, hot (a window unit doesn't help much in a TX summer) house, I laugh at the people who sneer at me for being so proud of the house we now have.
I've had a good life. I won't argue with anyone about it. But the reason I never give an inch on the luck thing with most liberals is that they use it as a way to diminish one's accomplishments.
I understand that a certain degree of luck is involved in most success. Being in the right time at the right place, giving the right answer, fixing a problem no one else can do, can all lead to better opportunities.
But the main reason I say luck has little to do with it is that I've watched my husband struggle and succeed when he had so much going against him, including a devastating problem talking to people (which makes it difficult to succeed in any area of life) and other difficulties. What I learned from him is that much of what we call "luck" is about being observant. That is, watching for opportunities and taking them.