The other day, one of my classes involved an extremely heated discussion on whether success is based more on luck or more on skill/effort. Surprisingly, the class was pretty evenly split between the two, with very extreme views on both sides. In reality, the two concepts aren't mutually exclusive, but if you had to pick one or the other, would you rather be lucky or good?
This depends on the situation. I would rather be a good driver than a lucky driver.<p>For success in general, I would rather be lucky. The thing about luck is that it's a word which conceals a lot of behind the scenes action. We create our own luck and that creation often involves a lot of flailing around. That's something many "good" people may avoid, and that may be holding them back.
Local saying: Daig ang masipag ng maswerteng tamad (a lucky sloth is usually better off than a hard worker). Must be a terrible joke, but ultimately I believe hard work + opportunity = success.
When I took archery, someone attributed my skill to "luck". I think "luck" often means "I don't understand what went right or how to replicate that result". I would rather understand what went right, if possible, so I can do it again fairly reliably. Therefore I would rather be good than "lucky" -- good enough that other people accuse me of having "luck".