--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only good luck many great men ever…" description: "\"The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck.\" — Channing Pollock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/channing-pollock-41568_ability_the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-h_731252.jpg" --- # The only good luck many great men ever had was being born… ![“The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck.” quote by Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/channing-pollock-41568_ability_the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-h_731252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/channing-pollock-41568_ability_the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-h_731252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/channing-pollock-41568_ability_the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-h_731252.jpg) > “The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck.” [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success often depends on innate drive and perseverance, outweighing luck. **In simple terms:** Determination beats luck. Key Takeaway Cultivate resilience and purpose. Themes success determination luck Mood determined optimistic Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - sports competition Key Concepts psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What role does environment play? - Can luck ever be a factor? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on personal grit can ignore systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Bad luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [Once you have made your choice, stick with it. Even if you come across problems, have the determination to overcome them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-you-have-made-your-choice-stick-with-it-even-if-you-come-across/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is our determination to overcome fear and discouragement that constitutes the only effective antidote to the sense of powerlessness over unwanted feelings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-livingston/it-is-our-determination-to-overcome-fear-and-discouragement-that/) [Gordon Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-livingston/) > [Desire and determination must overcome disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-alston/desire-and-determination-must-overcome-disappointment/) [Walter Alston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-alston/) > [Great determination can overcome most odds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/great-determination-can-overcome-most-odds/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [I've always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you've got to have that drive and determination to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/i-ve-always-found-that-anything-worth-achieving-will-always-have/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes right—all that falls to them is so much gain—all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-men-are-born-to-good-luck-all-they-do-or-try-to-do-comes-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've been blessed with some luck, great ability and athleticism. That's really what's made me a great player, but I think the reason I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/champ-bailey/i-ve-been-blessed-with-some-luck-great-ability-and-athleticism-that-s/) [Champ Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/champ-bailey/) > [Luck is great, but most of life is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/luck-is-great-but-most-of-life-is-hard-work/) [Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/) > [Luck is the great stabilizer in baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tris-speaker/luck-is-the-great-stabilizer-in-baseball/) [Tris Speaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tris-speaker/) > [Luck has had a great deal to do with my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-glover/luck-has-had-a-great-deal-to-do-with-my-career/) [John Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-glover/) > [I think luck is a great part of it because I think that the particular makeup of the person that you are attracted to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/i-think-luck-is-a-great-part-of-it-because-i-think-that-the/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [I believe that people make their own luck by great preparation and good strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-believe-that-people-make-their-own-luck-by-great-preparation-and/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [Beginner's luck is great for beginners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fripp/beginner-s-luck-is-great-for-beginners/) [Robert Fripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fripp/) > [Andrew Luck is a great quarterback.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/andrew-luck-is-a-great-quarterback/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) ## More by Channing Pollock > [No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/no-man-in-the-world-has-more-courage-than-the-man-who-can-stop-after/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [No matter how small and unimportant what we are doing may seem, if we do it well, it may soon become the step that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/no-matter-how-small-and-unimportant-what-we-are-doing-may-seem-if-we/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [A critic is a legless man who teaches running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/a-critic-is-a-legless-man-who-teaches-running/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [Two things are as big as the man who possesses them - neither bigger nor smaller. One is a minute, the other a dollar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/two-things-are-as-big-as-the-man-who-possesses-them-neither-bigger/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [Calm self-confidence is as far from conceit as the desire to earn a decent living is remote from greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/calm-self-confidence-is-as-far-from-conceit-as-the-desire-to-earn-a/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [“A critic is a legless man who teaches other people to run”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/a-critic-is-a-legless-man-who-teaches-other-people-to-run/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [Home is the most popular, and will be the most enduring of all earthly establishments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/home-is-the-most-popular-and-will-be-the-most-enduring-of-all-earthly/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [Happiness: a way station between too little and too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/happiness-a-way-station-between-too-little-and-too-much/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) > [“Contemplating the adolescence through which we scorned the wrong, some of us must wish … that we could be born old, and grow younger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/contemplating-the-adolescence-through-which-we-scorned-the-wrong-some/) [Channing Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) [Explore all 10 Channing Pollock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Channing Pollock" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-had-was-being-born-with-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-had-was-being-born-with-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/channing-pollock-41568_ability_the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-h_731252.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/channing-pollock-41568_ability_the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-h_731252.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/channing-pollock-41568_ability_the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-h_731252.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad…” — Channing Pollock", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Channing Pollock", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-pollock/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only good luck many great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-had-was-being-born-with-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-pollock/the-only-good-luck-many-great-men-ever-had-was-being-born-with-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```