Hidden Brain

You Are Not Ordinary

Most of us have been taught to think about luck as a minor factor in success — just a small boost that helps certain people get ahead. But psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman says this view misses something profound: many of the things we consider to be signs of talent or hard work are themselves the product of circumstances beyond our control.

Hidden Brain

You Are Not Ordinary

Most of us intuitively understand that extreme talent is rare. But psychologist Adam Galinsky says we fail to appreciate just how rare — and how different our lives might have been had we been born at a different time, or in a different place, or to different parents. We dramatically underestimate the role of circumstance in shaping who we are and what we achieve.

TED

Is Luck Random — or Can You Cultivate It? | Christian Busch | TED

Serendipity is the active luck that depends on how we engage with the unexpected. Blind luck happens to us, and active luck, serendipity, can be cultivated.