I consider myself lucky– not just four-leaf clover lucky, but crash-into-a-goldmine lucky. I hit the birth lottery and the genetic lottery and that was just the start of a five-plus decade hot streak.
I was born at the right time in the right place to the right parents with the right access to food and water and education and opportunity. I’ve encountered amazing people I get to call friends, met my wife after a series of sliding-glass moments, stumbled upon the right job and company and culture, been blessed with kids who happen to be really good human beings that sometimes even laugh at my terrible jokes (probably out of pity).
Let me be clear: I was born on third base and have no delusion that I just legged out a triple.
This perspective is a far cry from the quintessential American story of rugged individualism. We’re wired to think that, no matter what advantages might have been conferred, we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps.
Acknowledging privilege does not make someone lesser. And storylines of luck and hard work are not mutually exclusive. There’s such a thing as Return on Luck—the idea that while luck gives you opportunities, it’s how you capitalize on them that truly matters. It’s okay to own privilege AND recognize that privilege alone doesn’t guarantee success.
But here’s the real point. With privilege comes responsibility. Not everyone has the same fortune. Not everyone has the same opportunities. Not everyone has been as lucky. As a community and a country and a world, we thrive when rugged individuals recognize that they have a responsibility to use their privilege to help those with less privilege.
If you’ve been lucky, and you’ve been able to realize a considerable return on luck, congrats. That’s awesome. You should feel pride and never apologize for that. You should also recognize it and pay it forward– give someone else a chance to realize a return on their luck.
