Was it your luck or was it your hard work?

Disclaimer: This is a subjective piece, take it as you will.

So I have been working full-time for six years now. I started working full-time in a semi-permanent job at the age of 22 (almost 23). Anything prior to this were odd jobs here and there on a temporary basis. In this little more than half a decade of work experience, I have worked for five companies in total. As such, I have had the opportunity to meet many people from different walks of life.

Inevitably, the conversation of qualififications always comes up, and I've spoken with people who either believe it was their hard work that got them there or there good luck. I have also found people in the middle (like myself) who give credence to both their own work and their good luck.

Ironically enough, I have met people who boast their hard work when their successful and blame their luck when they are not successful in something. This to me is always amusing.

So my question to those who choose one side of the coin is this, why cannot both hard work and good luck be true at the same time? Why should they be mutually exclusive?

Admittedly, I worked really hard to do well in my bachelor program (so as not to be kicked out of university). Furthermore, that bachelor degree (that I really worked hard for) is a requirment for my current teaching job in Korea. To add to that, my current job has inspired or influenced me to enroll myself in a Master of Education program. Last but not the least, my hard work has ensured a third year of stay in Korea (so I can pay my bills).

Side note: Yes my external desires do make me work very hard. They always have. Luckily enough, I have found myself a job that I enjoy just for its sake and not just the salary (which should be higher in all honesty, boss are you here?).

However, all of this would have been at best very difficult or at worst impossible, if I had not been born into the circumstances that I had been born into. I was born into a western country (hence my right to an education despite being a female was protected). Furthermore, I was an only child to a two parent home. So while not absurdly rich, my parents were able to provide more than enough for me.

In my social circle, I have seen my peers (friends, cousins, coworkers, strangers even) who come from more affluent backgrounds prosper more than those who do not. And what situation you are born into is truly simple luck. You have no control over it.

Now, I am generalizing a bit here. True there are rags to riches cases out there. Even more visible than ever before given our social media climate. However, even there is still luck is involved. Take for example two singers auditioning for a talent show, both are equally talented and hard working. But one's singing style or appearance appeals more to a singular judge because of their own subjective preference.

Or take this for example, two emerging doctors come from impoverished backgrounds. Their resumes (qualifications and experiences) and identities (race, gender, culture etc.) are identitical. Having two identitical candidates is not as impossible as you think. Believe it or not sometimes for employers they very much have to toss the coin so to speak. So again both candidates worked just as hard, however one was lucky and one was not.

Now imagine when people loose out on or gain opportunities because of uncontrollable factors of race, gender, culture, ethncity, nationality etc.

Admitting your good luck does not and should not take away from the fact that you have worked hard. But it is a simple acknowledgement that there are people out there who work just as hard as you (perhaps even more so) and are still not as successful because of other external factors.

This little bit was inspired by a conversation over zoom with a long-time friend. The goal is simply to spark a thought! If you enjoyed the opinion (leave a like) and forgive me my errors.

Au Revoir!