Not sufficient, but certainly necessary
Tristram Hunt says his success is down to hard work, and then goes on to describe his upbringing.
Ahem. Yes, I quite agree that it is totally infuriating to read the far too many diatribes by people who think that everybody can 'hard work' their way out of desperate situations.
But, on the other prickly paw, there are people who had the kinds of advantages that Hunt had, and are nothing like as successful as he is.
I will certainly concede that a part of any success that I can lay claim to is due to adventitious factors such as being born at a particular time into a particular society, to a particular family which, though poor, believed in education and did not consider it wasted on girls, having encouragement from teachers, etc. And further on to being in the right place at the right time.
But I don't discount that I actually did things myself that built on those advantages, that weren't handed to me on a plate. I was really pissed off when the other half of the Slow Motion Train Wreck Relationship told me how lucky I was to have the job I did after I'd got the upgrade to the professional band: well, yes, but part of that was also sticking on through the period with the line-manager from heck, giving up time and energy to getting my professional diploma, and also, actually being Damn Good At The Job.
And subsequently, yes, I've been lucky and some of that was down to right place, right time, right contacts: but it was also spotting certain niches and putting in some serious hard work.
I may have mentioned before a person who used to be associated with Academic Institution I Have The Honour To Be Associated With, in one of its earlier incarnations, who used to be Wonder Boy and had turned into Boring Old Fart. Who had numerous advantages of background and education (and gender?) and was expected to do great things but (I think) had a fatal disinclination to put in the hours applying seat of pants to seat of chair in solitude as opposed to Performing Brilliance in public settings.
So I don't think one should discount anyone's hard work as if it had nothing at all to do with their success.
This entry was originally posted at http://oursin.dreamwidth.org/1558466.html. Please comment there using OpenID. View
comments.
Ahem. Yes, I quite agree that it is totally infuriating to read the far too many diatribes by people who think that everybody can 'hard work' their way out of desperate situations.
But, on the other prickly paw, there are people who had the kinds of advantages that Hunt had, and are nothing like as successful as he is.
I will certainly concede that a part of any success that I can lay claim to is due to adventitious factors such as being born at a particular time into a particular society, to a particular family which, though poor, believed in education and did not consider it wasted on girls, having encouragement from teachers, etc. And further on to being in the right place at the right time.
But I don't discount that I actually did things myself that built on those advantages, that weren't handed to me on a plate. I was really pissed off when the other half of the Slow Motion Train Wreck Relationship told me how lucky I was to have the job I did after I'd got the upgrade to the professional band: well, yes, but part of that was also sticking on through the period with the line-manager from heck, giving up time and energy to getting my professional diploma, and also, actually being Damn Good At The Job.
And subsequently, yes, I've been lucky and some of that was down to right place, right time, right contacts: but it was also spotting certain niches and putting in some serious hard work.
I may have mentioned before a person who used to be associated with Academic Institution I Have The Honour To Be Associated With, in one of its earlier incarnations, who used to be Wonder Boy and had turned into Boring Old Fart. Who had numerous advantages of background and education (and gender?) and was expected to do great things but (I think) had a fatal disinclination to put in the hours applying seat of pants to seat of chair in solitude as opposed to Performing Brilliance in public settings.
So I don't think one should discount anyone's hard work as if it had nothing at all to do with their success.
This entry was originally posted at http://oursin.dreamwidth.org/1558466.html. Please comment there using OpenID. View
comments.