#Merit

Why “Lucky” Can Undermine Earned Success

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. [...]

Measuring Worth by Deeds, Not Possessions

This principle marks a departure from eras that equated wealth with virtue. For example, the Gilded Age in America frequently celebrated tycoons for their accumulations. Emerson, writing amidst the rising tide of materialism in the 19th century, prompts a reconsideration: instead of admiring amassed fortunes, societies should prize excellence in craftsmanship, service, or creativity, echoing the Classical ideal that ‘virtue is its own reward.’ [...]