Unpopular opinion: natural talent/genetics determines 90% of your success in life

I think athletic success is your best argument and even that isn’t 90% determined by genetics. Track/running has the most genetic skew because it requires not equipment (economic barriers) and requires no other athletic skills (hand/eye coordination, agility, etc) and even still, some people work harder and become more successful.

As far as intelligence, there was a study done of kids with amazingly high IQs. They followed like 30-40 kids around for life. Unfortunately, these kids did not become greater successes than people with above-average IQs. The above average IQs worked harder and developed better people skills. The intellectuals lacked tons of other “intelligences” (emotional intelligence, etc).

With that said, there are tons of situations that you’re born into or traits that you’re born with that hugely impact your life’s success. It’s just a 90% determinant.

Here are some:

Having an above-average IQ (not genius level)

Being extremely athletic

Being 7ft tall not by gigantism

Being born in U.S when compared to the world

Being born white / middle class in US when compared to others in US

Being born to a family with a father present

Not having to support yourself or your family before age 18

Being born healthy, strong, with no mental or physical impediments

...tons more.

Even still, there are so many other factors that 90% is too high of a number.

It’s just NOT a 90% determinant.

This is generally true except for the financial success part. Best predictor of becoming rich is having rich parents. Nepotism etc. Doesn't exclude the odd selfmade millionaire though, but it's rare.

license for having kids now wrote:

This is generally true except for the financial success part. Best predictor of becoming rich is having rich parents. Nepotism etc. Doesn't exclude the odd selfmade millionaire though, but it's rare.

No kidding! There's so many rich people that have inherited their parents wealth it's unreal. The children of Sam Walton founder of Walmart are all mega-billionares, as one example.

We're a country of the "haves" & "haves nots." The 1% of the wealthiest run the show. Billionaires galore. And if us poor people, who are genetically inferior to the more successful people of the country, can't make it - what does society do with us? Slave labor camps? Relocated to isolated peasant communties? Sent over to 3rd world countries? Many of the wealthy think we're nothing but "useless eaters"...so what is to be done of the genetically challenged humans of this country?

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

-Kevin Durant

We're killing the planet by overbreeding and overexploiting. There is no perpetual economic growth, and our next big war will be our last one. Elon Musk and his Noah's Ark full of billionaires will relocate to Mars or a low-orbit space habitat. For the rest of us it'll basically be like the Walking Dead.

Winning wrote:

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

-Kevin Durant

That's corny...it's more like harder working "talent" beats other "talent" that fails to work hard.

i wanna see your rocket ship wrote:

We're killing the planet by overbreeding and overexploiting. There is no perpetual economic growth, and our next big war will be our last one. Elon Musk and his Noah's Ark full of billionaires will relocate to Mars or a low-orbit space habitat. For the rest of us it'll basically be like the Walking Dead.

So...I guess my next run could be my last run?

The Black Pill Giver wrote:

Unfortunately, nearly everyone works hard these days. In fact, intelligent people work harder because they get more rewards when they put effort in.

You clearly haven't been out much. Some of the laziest, stupidest people I have ever met are the most "successful" in terms if money and position. You can't possibly work with kids, either, because you will quickly realize that hard work is not in most kids vocabulary. Some, yes, but not most.

Amazing to see some one with such a poor genetic IQ that they managed to have an opinion that is objectively wrong.

If you had credited 90% of success to birth related factors you might have had room to make an argument, but genetics can be demonstrated as not having that substantial an impact.

Infant health is very strongly tied to the location of birth so simply being born into the right country means a lot for your early success. That isn't genetics.

Then financial success has a significant tie to location (access to education and good markets) as well as your families connections and wealth. Also not genetics.

Physical success while tied to genetics also has other substantial biological factors involved. Exposure to certain hormones in the womb and various developmental factors throughout early childhood and puberty can really influence a person's physical attributes and other dispositions. For instance lead in drinking water has been statistically linked to more detrimental long term community impacts than poverty.

In fact considering the thread creators method of making a such a bold and abrasive claim despite a clear lack of understanding related to the facts I wouldn't be surprised to find they experienced some level of developmental lead exposure as it has a link to this sort of impulsive aggression.

Winning wrote:

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

-Kevin Durant

Talent never fails to work hard.

Usain Bolt's training partners and former coaches disagree. I trust them over you.

Billy Talent wrote:

Winning wrote:

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

-Kevin Durant

Talent never fails to work hard.

Not reality. There are many highly intelligent people that will never realize their potential because of pain from the past, twisted perspectives in fear, etc. On the same side their are less talented people that will go against fear and make it way farther than the talented group because they didn't listen to fear and took the journey and took more risks in life. Their simple minded approach that is often labeled by the intelligent as stupid or foolish will actually allow them to make more mistakes and grow from them. Like riding a bike, learning to do anything, failure is part of the process. Many people that are super smart end up falling in a snare created by their own intelligence. A lot of potential in the world. The world would be completely different if people had different perspectives. That applies to everyone. Unfortunately their are millions of people that will never reach their potential or be that successful not because of lack of genetics but because of a lack of perspective. This has nothing to do with genetics, talents, intelligence. We all have talents and gifts. We all have tremendous potential in some area. Sometimes it's easier to see this in some people vs others. The more damaged a person is the harder it is to see....but that doesn't mean it's not there! Any wrong perspective you believe will only hold you back. Any healthy or right perspective will only be empowering in life. This is universal. Like plants, cultures are like environments and ecosystems that allow certain things to grow in people while killing other things (dreams, potential) in people. Growing up in one culture can be like the best possible soil for your gifts to grow and mature while living in a different culture can subdue the gifts inside you. I promise you there is greatness and talent (not just athletically) in the hood and in the slums and among the lowest. There is gold that is just not being mined and cultivated. Even though their is tremendous talent in these cultures the people are held back in a crab bucket of limited or just plain wrong perspectives. These perspectives are at work in them and in the community around them. If someone gets perspective and starts to take the journey to being successful (whatever that means for that individual) they are instantly met with tremendous resistance from friends and family. This is the manifestation of the lies and perspectives those around them are so heavily entrenched in. Sometimes the journey to success take a long freaking time. Some of us have more things we have to conquer b4 arriving. This takes courage and conviction because there will be times in your journey that it will seem like you will never make it. It will not look realistic at times. You have to keep going. Sometimes those closest to you will resist you (ignorantly not intentionally). You have to perservere if you are going to make it.

7/10

I credit most of this score to your genetic gift for trolling.

Not that those aren't assets, but being tall, good looking, and even moderately intelligent, are far more valuable.