The Luck Factor: Why Successful Brits Should Acknowledge Their Advantages
When you reflect on your achievements, what factors come to mind first? Hard work? Talent? Determination? While these qualities undoubtedly contribute, how much consideration do you give to the elements completely beyond your control - what we might simply call luck?
Julian Richer, founder of Richer Sounds and the Fairness Foundation, believes many successful people significantly underestimate luck's role in their journeys. He argues this isn't just about random events like lottery wins, but the fundamental circumstances we're born into.
The Tailwinds We Rarely Acknowledge
Richer openly acknowledges his own advantages: being born in the UK during peaceful times, having an able body and mind, receiving a good upbringing and exclusive education, and possessing talents valued by the marketplace. These factors created what he describes as "several tailwinds" that made his path considerably easier than many others.
Consider your own situation. Perhaps you benefited from periods of low house prices or free university education. Now imagine having none of these advantages. Picture facing barriers at every turn: unemployed parents, neighbourhoods plagued by deprivation and crime, impossible barriers to home ownership or business creation due to lack of capital.
The Damaging Myth of Meritocracy
Britain clings to the meritocracy myth - the idea that talent and hard work inevitably lead to success. Yet the evidence suggests otherwise. Just 50 families now own more wealth than the poorest half of the population, while approximately one third of children live in poverty. Disadvantaged children trail nearly two years behind their peers by GCSE time.
Despite these stark realities, 38% of Britons still believe success depends primarily on individual merit rather than external factors. The dangerous flipside of "you can make it if you try" is the implication that those who haven't succeeded simply haven't tried hard enough.
How Inequality Poison's Britain's Future
This thinking legitimises the status quo by suggesting current inequality is "fair," enabling those who benefit most to resist government efforts addressing socioeconomic divides. Meanwhile, increasing inequality undermines economic growth and social cohesion.
The meritocracy myth allows economic disadvantage to spill over into inequality of esteem, status and dignity. This breeds resentment among those deemed second-class citizens, damaging social unity and eroding faith in democratic politics.
A Call for Honest Acknowledgement
Dismantling the meritocracy myth represents one of today's most urgent public life changes. While we might disagree about whether a truly meritocratic society is possible or desirable, we should unite around recognising we don't live in one yet.
Acknowledging luck's role provides a starting point for political leaders to take bolder action against inequality. If business leaders recognised how luck helped them, they might improve pay and conditions for low-paid workers.
The Fairness Foundation seeks successful individuals willing to publicly acknowledge luck's contribution to their achievements. Their mission: challenge the meritocracy myth from the centre outward, creating space for better conversations about enabling everyone to fulfil their ambitions.
As Richer concludes: recognising that giving a few people a helping hand isn't enough represents the first step toward meaningful change. So ask yourself - do you feel lucky? If so, perhaps it's time to acknowledge it.
