Because “lucky” can sound positive, people use it as praise without noticing its side effect: it can subtly invalidate skill. Over time, that framing can erode motivation and identity, especially for people who have had to work against extra barriers. If the world insists your achievements are luck, it becomes harder to claim competence without seeming defensive.
In addition, the label can be used to avoid learning from someone’s success. If it was “just luck,” then there’s no need to study their habits, decisions, or craft. That makes the word comforting for observers, but diminishing for the person who did the work. [...]
