I have recently read Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick. The book is all about Jock, a golden-coloured dog, and his adventures in the South African bush – mostly hunting game. His owner works on the wagons, transporting goods across 19th century South Africa. One night everyone is sitting around the campfire, discussing a quote from
Hamlet:
“The time is out of joint; O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right.”
One opinion of this statement discussed in the book was that putting things down to luck is the waster’s motto. Rocky, the character in the book, explained it this way:
“I don’t say that’s no such thing as luck – good and bad; but it ain’t the explanation o’ success an’ failure – not by a long way. No, sirree, luck’s just the thing any man’d like ter believe is the reason for his failure and another feller’s success. But it ain’t so. When another man pulls off what you don’t, the first thing you got ter believe is it’s your own fault; and the last, it’s his luck. And you jus’ got ter wade in an’ find out whar you went wrong, an’ put it right, ‘thought any excuses an’ explanations.”
There is an element of this way of thinking that I absolutely agree with. Sheer determination and persistence does have a large part to play in what you achieve in life. But I think that this view assumes that we all start from a level playing field, and that’s where luck comes into the equation.
Yes I have my own business today as a result of hard work and the choices I have made. But I was also lucky enough to be born into a family that could afford to give me the very best education which then enabled me to take the steps that have led me here.
I look around the world and there are so many people less privileged than myself who simply cannot afford these opportunities. Are we to believe that, for those millions, the reason for their lack of success is their own fault? Or, do those of us that have had the fortune of luck have a duty of care to lend a helping hand where we can?
Hamlet:
“The time is out of joint; O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right.”
One opinion of this statement discussed in the book was that putting things down to luck is the waster’s motto. Rocky, the character in the book, explained it this way:
“I don’t say that’s no such thing as luck – good and bad; but it ain’t the explanation o’ success an’ failure – not by a long way. No, sirree, luck’s just the thing any man’d like ter believe is the reason for his failure and another feller’s success. But it ain’t so. When another man pulls off what you don’t, the first thing you got ter believe is it’s your own fault; and the last, it’s his luck. And you jus’ got ter wade in an’ find out whar you went wrong, an’ put it right, ‘thought any excuses an’ explanations.”
There is an element of this way of thinking that I absolutely agree with. Sheer determination and persistence does have a large part to play in what you achieve in life. But I think that this view assumes that we all start from a level playing field, and that’s where luck comes into the equation.
Yes I have my own business today as a result of hard work and the choices I have made. But I was also lucky enough to be born into a family that could afford to give me the very best education which then enabled me to take the steps that have led me here.
I look around the world and there are so many people less privileged than myself who simply cannot afford these opportunities. Are we to believe that, for those millions, the reason for their lack of success is their own fault? Or, do those of us that have had the fortune of luck have a duty of care to lend a helping hand where we can?
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