Luck Quote by Donald A. Norman
““When things go right, people credit their own abilities and intelligence. The onlookers do the reverse. When they see things go well for someone else, they sometimes credit the environment, or luck.””
About This Quote
People attribute success to personal skill but attribute others’ success to external factors like luck or environment.
In simple terms: Success is seen as personal, failures as external.
Key Takeaway
Recognize bias in judging others.
Themes
self‑attribution
external attribution
bias
perception
ego
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
observational
psychological
social
When to use this quote
- team meetings
- performance reviews
- friendship dynamics
- public recognition
- media commentary
Key Concepts
psychology
social cognition
self‑serving bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance personal effort with acknowledging external factors?
- What biases affect your judgments of others’ achievements?
A Different Perspective
People may overlook systemic advantages that contribute to success.
![“Real leaders don't care [about receiving credit]. If it's about your mission, about spreading the faith, about seeing something happen, not only do you not care about credit, you actually want other people to take credit...There's no record of Martin Luther King, Jr. or Gandhi whining about…” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d3b/seth-godin-152_leadership_real-leaders-don-t-care-about-receiving_1563772.jpg)
![“Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. [...] The advent of hypertext is apt to make writing much more difficult, not easier. Good writing, that is.” quote by Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/662/donald-a-norman-6862_advent_hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of_51804.jpg)
