--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's luck. All is luck when skill's…" description: "\"“It's luck. All is luck when skill's played out. It was luck left me with a face that didn't fit in Contact, it's luck that's made you a great game-pla..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/iain-m-banks-3729_chance_it-s-luck-all-is-luck-when-skill-s-playe_2877431.jpg" --- # It's luck. All is luck when skill's played out. It was… ![“It's luck. All is luck when skill's played out. It was luck left me with a face that didn't fit in Contact, it's luck that's made you a great game-player, it's luck that's put you here tonight. Neither of us were fully planned, Jernau Gurgeh; your genes determined you and your mother's genofixing…” quote by Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/iain-m-banks-3729_chance_it-s-luck-all-is-luck-when-skill-s-playe_2877431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/iain-m-banks-3729_chance_it-s-luck-all-is-luck-when-skill-s-playe_2877431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/573/iain-m-banks-3729_chance_it-s-luck-all-is-luck-when-skill-s-playe_2877431.jpg) > ““It's luck. All is luck when skill's played out. It was luck left me with a face that didn't fit in Contact, it's luck that's made you a great game-player, it's luck that's put you here tonight. Neither of us were fully planned, Jernau Gurgeh; your genes determined you and your mother's genofixing made certain you would not be a cripple or mentally subnormal. The rest is chance. I was brought into being with the freedom to be myself; if what that general plan and that particular luck produced is something a majority — a majority, mark you; not all — of one SC admissions board decides is not what they just happen to want, is it my fault? Is it?" "No," Gurgeh sighed, looking down. "Oh, it's all so wonderful in the Culture, isn't it, Gurgeh; nobody starves and nobody dies of disease or natural disasters and nobody and nothing's exploited, but there's still luck and heartache and joy, there's still chance and advantage and disadvantage.”” [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Luck and skill intertwine; genetics and chance shape us, but personal agency still matters. **In simple terms:** Luck, genetics, and choice affect life, yet we can act. Key Takeaway Recognize both randomness and responsibility. Themes fate skill agency chance genetics society Mood reflective thoughtful critical Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - career decisions - gaming strategy - medical ethics - social policy - personal growth Key Concepts determinism free will social critique ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance acknowledging luck with taking responsibility? - What role should society play in mitigating random disadvantages? A Different Perspective Luck alone cannot excuse outcomes; systemic factors also play roles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Natural disasters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-disasters/) ## Related quotes > [The evidence is unequivocal, there's a great deal more luck than skill in people getting very rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-evidence-is-unequivocal-there-s-a-great-deal-more-luck-than-skill/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Why go further and further, Look, happiness is right here. Learn how to grab hold of luck, For luck is always there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/why-go-further-and-further-look-happiness-is-right-here-learn-how-to/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“To win the lottery once may be evidence of luck or skill; to win it repeatedly is evidence of skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kay/to-win-the-lottery-once-may-be-evidence-of-luck-or-skill-to-win-it/) [John Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kay/) > [Don't confuse luck with skill when judging others, and especially when judging yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/don-t-confuse-luck-with-skill-when-judging-others-and-especially-when/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [Luck is when skill meets opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinnie-paz/luck-is-when-skill-meets-opportunity/) [Vinnie Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinnie-paz/) > [“Constant luck is skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-caliber/constant-luck-is-skill/) Rohit Caliber > [“THE MOST CONTENTIOUS question in business is whether success comes from luck or skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/the-most-contentious-question-in-business-is-whether-success-comes/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“How many times had he felt alone at midnight, with the hard dark pressing in and no sign of morning? Many times before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mccammon/how-many-times-had-he-felt-alone-at-midnight-with-the-hard-dark/) [Robert McCammon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mccammon/) > [In creative endeavors luck is a skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/in-creative-endeavors-luck-is-a-skill/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Wall Street's favorite scam is pretending that luck is skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-ross/wall-street-s-favorite-scam-is-pretending-that-luck-is-skill/) [Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) > [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/) ## More by Iain M. Banks > [“It never ceased to amaze him how quickly a small child's face could turn from peach to beetroot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/it-never-ceased-to-amaze-him-how-quickly-a-small-child-s-face-could/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“There's something very... I don't know; primitive, perhaps, about you, Gurgeh. You've never changed sex, have you?' He shook his head. 'Or slept with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/there-s-something-very-i-don-t-know-primitive-perhaps-about-you/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [ “\[I\]t was really only in the generation or two before hers that the idea had started to traverse the spectrum of likelihood in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/i-t-was-really-only-in-the-generation-or-two-before-hers-that-the/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“Some problems were generational; you just had to wait for the relevant elders to die off and be replaced with more progressive types.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/some-problems-were-generational-you-just-had-to-wait-for-the-relevant/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“I can understand that people want to feel special and important and so on, but that self-obsession seems a bit pathetic somehow. 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Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“Their history wasn’t so far off the mean track, they were going through what a thousand other civilizations had gone through, and no doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/their-history-wasn-t-so-far-off-the-mean-track-they-were-going/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“Tell me, what is happiness?” “Happiness? Happiness... is to wake up, on a bright spring morning, after an exhausting first night spent with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/tell-me-what-is-happiness-happiness-happiness-is-to-wake-up-on-a/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“Most people are not prepared to have their minds changed," he said. "And I think they know in their hearts that other people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/most-people-are-not-prepared-to-have-their-minds-changed-he-said-and/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“Once one survives the trough that comes with the understanding that people are going to go on being stupid and cruel to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/once-one-survives-the-trough-that-comes-with-the-understanding-that/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“God, what did any of it matter, in the end? You lived; you died. You were as indistinguishable from a distance as one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/god-what-did-any-of-it-matter-in-the-end-you-lived-you-died-you-were/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) [Explore all 122 Iain M. Banks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) Alejandro Taubas > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's luck. All is luck when skill's played out. It was luck left me with a face that didn't fit in Contact, it's luck that's made you a great game-player, it's luck that's put you here tonight. Neither of us were fully planned, Jernau Gurgeh; your genes determined you and your mother's genofixing made certain you would not be a cripple or mentally subnormal. The rest is chance. I was brought into being with the freedom to be myself; if what that general plan and that particular luck produced is something a majority — a majority, mark you; not all — of one SC admissions board decides is not what they just happen to want, is it my fault? Is it?\" \"No,\" Gurgeh sighed, looking down. \"Oh, it's all so wonderful in the Culture, isn't it, Gurgeh; nobody starves and nobody dies of disease or natural disasters and nobody and nothing's exploited, but there's still luck and heartache and joy, there's still chance and advantage and disadvantage.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Iain M. 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