I think you might be right about that. In my case, although I haven't succeeded in my career yet, I did have some small wins (and good emotional support) along

I think you might be right about that. In my case, although I haven't succeeded in my career yet, I did have some small wins (and good emotional support) along the way which helped keep my confidence levels up (and yes, luck had a big role to play there). I completely agree with you that confidence is key - And unfortunately, confidence just doesn't come from within - It has to come from outside validation. Most people in our society suffer from a perpetual lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Unfortunately, as is the case with money and power, the 'lucky few' in our society seem to have an oligopoly on 'confidence' - They tend to 'suffer' from self-perpetuating overconfidence and an inflated sense of self-importance.