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I'm all for attributing success to hard work, but it's hard to deny that a large part is also having the right kinds of smarts. Perhaps you lump that in with "l

I'm all for attributing success to hard work, but it's hard to deny that a large part is also having the right kinds of smarts. Perhaps you lump that in with "luck," but if so, that makes luck into an incredible catch-all. It can be a real struggle to wrestle with the guilt of catching so many fortunate breaks in life. Not having a mental illness. Not growing up in a ghetto. Access to a good education. Parents who loved me. I'll have to try out your last statement in your post. I tend to ask myself "Why should it be me?" What a great idea to respond with the question "Why shouldn't it be me?"

gyardley 13y ago
That's also interesting to me. I've caught the same lucky breaks that you have, more or less, but why feel guilty over them? After all, you didn't put in a special request for them. There was no one moment when you said "hey, god, why don't you give the lousy parents and schizophrenia to that other guy over there?" I do feel guilt over things in my past, but they've all been things I've actively and consciously done.
- rooster8 13y ago
  I suppose it's because some of the people whom I'm closest to are the same ones who had the unlucky breaks. I honestly wonder how much I can attribute to myself. I've always been interested in learning, math, logic, understanding... but why was I interested in the first place? I was born with the gift of natural curiosity... and that was one of my earliest and most profound strokes of good fortune. When I question whether I can even take credit for my drive to succeed, it really calls into question what I can take credit for at all.
  - ZeroGravitas 13y ago
    The Veil of Ignorance concept might suggest you feel guilty if you don't take actions that would have helped the many alternate yous that didn't get those breaks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_ignorance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_ignorance
    - rooster8 13y ago
      What an interesting thought experiment. Thanks for sharing.

gyardley 13y ago

That's also interesting to me. I've caught the same lucky breaks that you have, more or less, but why feel guilty over them? After all, you didn't put in a special request for them. There was no one moment when you said "hey, god, why don't you give the lousy parents and schizophrenia to that other guy over there?" I do feel guilt over things in my past, but they've all been things I've actively and consciously done.

rooster8 13y ago
I suppose it's because some of the people whom I'm closest to are the same ones who had the unlucky breaks. I honestly wonder how much I can attribute to myself. I've always been interested in learning, math, logic, understanding... but why was I interested in the first place? I was born with the gift of natural curiosity... and that was one of my earliest and most profound strokes of good fortune. When I question whether I can even take credit for my drive to succeed, it really calls into question what I can take credit for at all.
- ZeroGravitas 13y ago
  The Veil of Ignorance concept might suggest you feel guilty if you don't take actions that would have helped the many alternate yous that didn't get those breaks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_ignorance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_ignorance
  - rooster8 13y ago
    What an interesting thought experiment. Thanks for sharing.