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Today we tackle a question that might both intrigue some and make others nervous: "Does it take luck to get ahead?"
Professor Robert H. Frank, an economist at Cornell University, conducted an ad hoc study coming up with an unexpected answer: yes, luck plays a key role!
Picture the scene: a quiet afternoon, a tennis player engaged in a match. Suddenly, however, a heart attack threatens to interrupt everything. But fortunately, an ambulance, returning from a non-emergency call, arrives in time to save the day.
This event prompted Robert Frank to investigate the importance of luck in achieving success, especially in competitive industries.
For 20 years, Frank has studied markets dominated by winner-takes-all logic. Think of music, where only a few artists achieve worldwide fame, or the digital sector, controlled by giants such as Google and Facebook. In these contexts, luck seems to be a deciding factor, often more than talent or expertise.
But how much does luck really impact? According to Frank, the more competitors there are, the more decisive luck becomes. In a simulation with 100,000 participants, only 6 percent of the most competent and talented managed to emerge.
What is the lesson here? We cannot ignore the role of luck in our path to success. However, we must not give in to chance. It is essential to continue to develop our skills, be tenacious and seize opportunities.
In conclusion, success could be a combination of talent, commitment and... a pinch of luck!
