Jason Calacanis, founder of Weblogs, Inc. and Mahalo (via hiten)
Rafer sez:
That’s all well and good if you think there’s some reason beyond random chance that your physical health, mental health, and mental aptitude are up to the task. I don’t. No matter which position you take on how you gained so much potential, the statement lacks empathy to a degree that I can barely comprehend. Happy holidays, ungrateful one.
gbattle sez:
I 100% agree with Rafer here. Statements like these, especially post-hoc ones, embody the highest form of hubris and self-aggrandizement. The truth is that it is nearly impossible to separate luck from skill in life. It takes an uncommon amount of humility to recognize and admit when the dice were in your favor in terms of geography, gene pool, race, gender, ethnicity, class, access, resources and timing. Results don’t care how hard or long you worked, but that you somehow got the combination right. Puritanical meritocracy is a cruel vestige from childhood fairytales like the above statement.
