No one likes to admit it — but life’s lottery has a big role to play in success
In Never, Rick Astley’s recent autobiography, the ’80s pop star describes how looking back over decades gave him a fresh appreciation of one critical factor in his success. “You see how much luck and chance is involved in your life and career,” he writes in the prologue. “You can have drive and ambition and talent, but there’s a huge amount of luck involved too: you know, someone wrote a three-and-a-half-minute pop song in 1987, and my life completely changed as a result of that.
In a 2016 paper, researchers Chengwei Liu and Mark de Rond saw luck as playing such a significant role that they mischievously suggested emulating the method of lottocracy employed during the ancient Greek and Venetian Republics and selecting corporate leaders at random, since “there may only be small differences in skill among corporate stars”. One effect, they say, would be to reduce income inequality, because we wouldn’t need to reward arbitrarily chosen leaders so highly.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why flooding in Spain has been so deadly – and why it could happen againAlmost a year's worth of rain fell in just eight hours in the worst-affected part of Valencia this week. It was triggered by a phenomenon called DANA.
Read more »
Why I love Starfield and why Bethesda's new universe is no dudStarfield gets a spirited defence from a fan that considers it one of Bethesda's best and superior to games such as Star Wars Outlaws.
Read more »
Why are we seeing the Northern Lights so often lately?The sun is at the peak of an 11-year solar cycle that allows for more solar flares and more frequent sightings.
Read more »
Why you should eat grapes more oftenThe grape season is fleeting and abundant, delighting us from August to October. Why make the most of it? There's much more to grapes than their sweet taste: they're packed with valuable health benefits.
Read more »
Why Virginia McCullough killed her parents and lived with their bodiesMovements at the McCullough family home were secretive, but neighbours could never have known why.
Read more »
My home is being taken over by ladybirds this autumn, but why? I asked an expertWhy are some of us seeing an influx of ladybirds in our homes?
Read more »