We have a myth in America that anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and become rich, powerful, and successful. Lance Armstrong supposedly embodied that. He was just that talented. Just that dedicated. To a level no one had been before.

Then he had this season, and it brings to mind the fact that even though Armstrong is extremely athletic, the thing he has been even more is super-humanly lucky. And perhaps many of the people at the top aren’t there because of skill, but because of luck. It’s not something people like to hear. But it does explain all the equally (or more) competent people at the bottom.

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Comments

Holmes (http://the-holmes.blogspot.com)

2010-07-08T14:50:22.000Z

No, they most certainly do NOT like to hear it. Granted, the man works extremely hard — his training schedule is insane. Most successful people work hard, at least some of the time. But that fact doesn’t automatically make the opposite true, that “unsuccessful” (note the quotes) people do not work hard, are lazy, and want everything handed to them. We just don’t like to admit that we’re somehow not totally in control of the direction that our lives go.

Tim (http://www.loadedguntheory.com/blog/index.php/listblog/.html)

2010-07-08T14:58:13.000Z

Yeah, and that’s my point. With Lance you can’t say he doesn’t work hard for his success (which you can with some CEOs). And yet luck still plays a huge part.