# What is the number one reason why some people succeed in life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 19, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994 "2008-12-19T23:23:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/101 "2008-12-22T17:53:16Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > And if Gates wasn’t ruthless enough to rip off someone elses operating system and package it to IBM, he would not have made it either. In defense of Bill on that transaction, he bought it fair and square, no rip off. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/102 "2008-12-22T18:59:54Z")
Evolutionarily speaking, isn’t the ultimate measure of ‘success’ whether or not you have the most impact in seeing to it that your genes survive and are passed on to subsequent generations? From that perspective, Mormons and Catholics are far more successful than those who choose not to have children either because they are gay, or because they don’t believe in bringing kids into the world, or because they’re too busy working and studying to have a large family. And I honestly wonder how big a factor this is in emotional happiness. My grandparents had five children, and each of their kids had multiple children. I grew up in a large extended family that remained quite close, with my grandparents as patriarchs in the center of the clan. They spent their old age being surrounded by people who loved them, and secure in the knowledge that their genes and their values were being carried on into the future after they were gone. People who do not have any children are destined to spend their retirement years alone - hopefully with a spouse, but one of them has to die first, and the other will definitely be completely alone in the world, perhaps living in an institution among strangers. I wonder how much material success ceases to matter when you’re finally in that situation… ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/103 "2008-12-22T19:47:41Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > And if Gates wasn’t ruthless enough to rip off someone elses operating system and package it to IBM, he would not have made it either. Well, if you are too weak or too stupid to protect your intellectual property, then maybe you don’t deserve success. > [@bump](#): > > Like others have said, we probably ought to define “succeed” or “successful” before we can accurately identify traits that would cause one to be successful. > > By that I mean, is the 32 year old guy who drinks like a fish, doesn’t hold down meaningful relationships, works constantly, has no hobbies, but makes half a million a year as a director in a consulting firm successful? > > Is the guy who worked for the water department who went to ALL of both of his sons’ football, baseball and basketball games as well as all their track meets, who has been a loving husband for 40 years, who gives money to charities such as the USO, whose sons and daughter-in-law love him dearly and who never really made more than about 50k per year successful? > > What about the partner at a mid-sized law firm who probably makes a million a year, but who works 70 hour weeks, avoids his family, alienates his co-workers, and is generally considered kind of an idiot? Your consultant and lawyer are successful. Your government worker isn’t. That’s great that he has decided to spend so much time with the family. But he has made a decision that he would rather spend more time with the family than pursue a more lucrative career. There’s nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is cut out to be financially successful. As you said, attrition for lawyers is high because when push comes to shove, more people want to be million dollar a year parters than want to work 80 hours a week for 10 years. I guess that is just professional success though. One can be a professional success and yet be an utter failure in every other aspect of their lives. Although I think the people who are the most successfull, generally tend to be well rounded in their success. They have a family and friends and hobies. I think the singleminded workaholic loner is more of a myth as those people tend to burn out quickly. Ultimately each person decides what “success” means for them. I think for the purpose of this discussion, we are talking about professional success. > [@The Liberator](#): > > Confidence seems like a vague and meaningless term that people tell each other without really giving it second thought. Specifically, how could someone all of the sudden become confident? Confidence is the ability to make decisions and push forward knowing your decision was the right one. It’s knowing that you can do something and probably do it better than anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![cplif](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@cplif](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cplif)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/104 "2008-12-22T20:02:46Z")
In the absence of a clear recipe for success, If I understand the OP the idea was “what is it that created absolute (great) brilliance in a few individuals, as demonstrated by their impact on human history” I do agree that most had a sort of “monomaniacal” drive, but many had scope encompassing their domain. I would cite daVinci, but fantastic thinkers have been 'successful" in marking humanity from Aristotle to JFK (we will go to the moon, and come back), others have terrified earth their names not to be cited I do believe that some are "lucky"being at the the right place in the right time, others leave their legacy in spite of themselves, some, as great salesmen, have at the same time a drive and a form of empathy that works… Rereading myself, only the fact that success and posterity seem not to be equated stands out. I remain confident that hard work and integrity will bring personal confort, but not fortune. I will add that here in europe, outside of the traditional networks, the most successful buisiness people have exploited their own ideas, and their own way of doing things. A good example is Afflelou who bought back his own company to be able to venture at his whim without pressure from investors. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/105 "2008-12-22T20:19:32Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I think I’d almost have to say it’s having the > > **confidence** > > to succeed that makes people succeed. I have at different points in my life had all kinds of determination or skill or connections or luck or what have you to succeed at some task or project or goal, but my utter lack of confidence has allowed me to give up on many opportunities at the smallest setback. And it seems like that’s what sets me apart from others with the same (or similar) characteristics as me who do seem to succeed at what they try. I think confidence comes from success, not the other way around. The loop goes: try -\> fail -\> feedback. At some point in the loop “fail” gets replaced with “success,” and that is where confidence comes from. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/106 "2008-12-22T20:28:49Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Well, if you are too weak or too stupid to protect your intellectual property, then maybe you don’t deserve success. Just FYI, as \*\*RaftPeople \*\*said above, Gates didn’t rip off DOS. He was approached by IBM to develop an operating system. Gates knew of Tim Paterson at Seattle Computer Products and the operating system Paterson had developed, known at the time as QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System), and he arranged to buy the rights to it from Paterson for around $50,000. Paterson didn’t know of the IBM connection and later felt ripped off because he could have made more money if he’d known how widespread the use of DOS was destined to become. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/107 "2008-12-22T21:12:16Z")
J. Paul Getty is credited with giving his recipe for success: 1. Rise early 2. Work hard 3. Strike oil In all seriousness, of course there isn’t any single reason. IMO, and if I had to give just one route to success, it’d be focus on a goal. Be so focused on that goal you’d practically be obsessed with it. Every single time in my life that I’ve been that focused on something, I’ve reached that goal. Every single time. My problem is I haven’t been that focused that often, but when I have, whether it’s losing weight, or getting promoted, or getting published, or learning a skill, I’ve succeeded. There’s no getting around it. As I heard one time, “Pick a point, and sail to it,” meaning once you set a goal, don’t lose sight of it. ---
**Author:** ![cplif](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@cplif](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cplif)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/108 "2008-12-22T23:00:09Z")
Though I give great faith to your statement, do you really think that focus and drive could give you individually the depth of say Newton, Plank, Keppler, What about the insight of Kant, or Hoffer. Do you believe that Gates products will speak for him, or the actions he has taken with his money? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/109 "2008-12-22T23:06:17Z")
> [@The Liberator](#): > > These people would range from Abraham Lincoln to Bill Gates to Martin Luther King, Jr. What would you say is the all-encompassing reason for their success? > > What do they have that most people don’t have? ‘Authority’ is the answer. It’s a quality that God allows or bestows (or has): [QUOTE=Daniel 7:6,12] 6"After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Matthew 7:29] because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Matthew 10:1] [Jesus Sends Out the Twelve] He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Romans 13:1] [Submission to the Authorities] Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=2 Corinthians 13:10] This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Revelation 13:7] He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. [/QUOTE] To name a few. God, in His purpose, establishes some with certain authorities. Some people seem to be natural leaders, and they may be by birthright, but authority is of God, not man. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/110 "2008-12-22T23:27:33Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > ‘Authority’ is the answer. It’s a quality that God allows or bestows (or has): > > To name a few. God, in His purpose, establishes some with certain authorities. Some people seem to be natural leaders, and they may be by birthright, but authority is of God, not man. Oh, OK, that explains everything then. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/111 "2008-12-22T23:48:13Z")
Luck. While there is a huge melange of skills and perseverence and looks and hard work and parentage and money that all comes together, the one factor uniformly shared by all that achieved greatness is that they were not brought down early by something they could not recover from, like say being run over by a bus and killed. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/112 "2008-12-22T23:50:05Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > ‘Authority’ is the answer. It’s a quality that God allows or bestows (or has): > > To name a few. God, in His purpose, establishes some with certain authorities. Some people seem to be natural leaders, and they may be by birthright, but authority is of God, not man. Hitler must have been god’s favorite little soldier! ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/113 "2008-12-23T00:02:15Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Luck. While there is a huge melange of skills and perseverence and looks and hard work and parentage and money that all comes together, the one factor uniformly shared by all that achieved greatness is that they were not brought down early by something they could not recover from, like say being run over by a bus and killed. Being hit by a bus and killed definitely is a serious obstacle on the way to success and one should avoid it if possible. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/114 "2008-12-23T01:16:53Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Luck. While there is a huge melange of skills and perseverence and looks and hard work and parentage and money that all comes together, the one factor uniformly shared by all that achieved greatness is that they were not brought down early by something they could not recover from, like say being run over by a bus and killed. I agree with “luck”, by which I mean being the right person in the right place at the right time. No doubt there was many a potential genius … toiling away as a field-hand, because they were born to the “wrong” parents to ever have an opportunity for that genius to express itself. By the same token, a mediocrity may find the exact niche to make the deepest mark. To take an example - many of the ‘great’ (and by ‘great’ I simply mean very influential) leaders of the 20th century were, at one point or another in their lives, considered totally washed up - Churchill would be a footnote to history and a bit of a failure were it not for Hitler (who in turn would have been a failed artist and probably a hobo were it not for the political turmoil in post-WW1 Germany). ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/115 "2008-12-23T01:52:17Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > Being hit by a bus and killed definitely is a serious obstacle on the way to success and one should avoid it if possible. Someone truly successful would take that experience and find a way to make lemonade. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/116 "2008-12-23T02:01:10Z")
The number one way is be born rich. It is very difficult to crack the social and money glass ceiling. There are some very smart people on the street. There are some dingbats in government. There are some stupid rich people determining your life due to a birth right. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/117 "2008-12-23T02:06:58Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > The number one way is be born rich. It is very difficult to crack the social and money glass ceiling. There are some very smart people on the street. There are some dingbats in government. There are some stupid rich people determining your life due to a birth right. 80% of millionaires are first generation (according to the trivia question 2 weeks ago at the deli I go to) ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/118 "2008-12-23T02:08:34Z")
Sure, but what’s higher? The percentage of millionaires’ kids who become millionaires, or the percentage of non-millionaires’ kids who become millionaires? [I honestly have no idea, but this is really what we’re after] ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/119 "2008-12-23T02:13:13Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Sure, but what’s higher? The percentage of millionaires’ kids who become millionaires, or the percentage of non-millionaires’ kids who become millionaires? > > [I honestly have no idea, but this is really what we’re after] Wait, what? What does “first generation” mean to you? ETA: I didn’t mean to come off so snarky. And that cite \*is \*a little lacking in credibility. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994/120 "2008-12-23T02:25:33Z")
To me, first-generation means “Parents weren’t millionaires”. What was given was the percentage of millionaires whose parents weren’t millionaires (80%) and the percentage of millionaires whose parents were also millionaires (20%). However, what’s more relevant is the percentage of people whose parents weren’t millionaires who are themselves millionaires (not yet provided), as well as the percentage of people whose parents were millionaires who are themselves millionaires (not yet provided). [Or, at the very least, what’s relevant is the comparison between those two unprovided percentages]. This is a very different question, and its answer cannot be deduced from simply the 80% figure provided. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-number-one-reason-why-some-people-succeed-in-life/477994.md?page=7)