Why are successful people turned into instruments of unique opportunity? Why are their stories told as circumstances of chance?
There are many examples of this kind of mystification. Isaac Newton suddenly discovered gravity when he observed an apple fall from a tree. A composer found inspiration and then wrote an amazing symphony. An entrepreneur had a brilliant idea and made a fortune through his business.
In countless of stories such as these, the triggering factor to a significant event is always made up to be external, and thus out of reach for the person’s influence.
But this is not reality: authors write nine to five regardless of any “inspiration”, they rewrite the same passage countless of times and they most often produce their best work when they are old. Newton didn’t discover gravity due to some falling apple; he had studied physics, mathematics and astronomy more than most people ever did.
I dare say that the real factor to success is always, and has always been, damn hard work and many failed attempts.
This is, however, a dangerous idea. People go to extreme lengths to deny it. For example the woman playing the lottery, believing it is the only way for her to become rich. Or the failed author blaming his empty pages on not having found the right inspiration — “yet.”
There is really no excuse for not having the capacity to achieve one’s own success. No talent? Talent is not nearly as important as the time you spend with a task, as described by Malcolm Gladwell in his Outliers (in which he also describes the importance of opportunity). No money? University is free, study loans are accessible for anyone and it doesn’t cost anything to start a company. Not “ready”? Get over it.
Why is the idea that anyone can become anything through one’s own ambition not embraced, but instead denied? Because it means complete responsibility for oneself, and the unlimited possibilities are easier shrugged off than capitalized. By some reason people are much more likely to confine themselves to a state where they believe they can’t affect their own destiny, rather than to embrace freedom. But still everyone knows that they could do anything, if they only tried. The guilt reminds them of this.
This is why successful people are mystified. By admitting that the causes for success were indeed equally accessible for everybody, the guilt is unbearable. So the choice is simple — deny the possibilities, stop thinking about it and blame everything on lucky circumstances.