Lucky vs. Intelligent

[LegacyOfPaper]

Intelligence. I'd rather know (or at least have an idea of) what's going to happen rather than living in one giant leap of faith.

[zAkAtAk]

This is turning out interesting.

More people would rather work towards something to achieve it then have it just fall in their lap - even if they produce the same outcome.

[Wolfdude]

Im both ^^ But the intelligens is more work... so its hard to deside.

[stephen5000]

I think we really need both intelligence and luck. I think intelligence alone has its limits and in many situations will get you nowhere without a bit of luck. Now intelligence plus cunning can help you make your own luck. (not that I have that )

I think that being lucky without being that intelligent can lead to one not really understanding one's circumstances and even to arrogance - take GWB as an example.

One thing I noticed that hasn't really been mentioned on this thread is that intelligence is somewhat ill-defined and that there are many things you could call intelligence - ability to learn and apply knowledge, memory/recollection ability, ability to interact with others well, skills at various professions/sports, etc. There isn't just one "intelligence".

[vivec]

Personally I dont believe in luck, but I do value intellect somewhat and I would much rather work to achieve something.

If you dont work towards something, how can you learn anything? In working towards something you learn new things, in learning new things it makes you more intelligent. But what I value above that is wisdom. What is intellect without the wisdom to guide it to make the right decision that helps and benefits others.

[henrique]

Luck is for lazy people, I'd rather be intelligent

[Nakor]

Luck is modified by skill. For example:

The hockey players that tend to get "lucky" the most are the ones who are the most skilled. They set themselves up for opportunities that seem like pure luck, but if they hadn't been in the right place at the right time, they never would have had that lucky chance. In fact, the phrase "luck is a factor of skill" is very commonly heard among hockey announcers and commentators.

Students that tend to get "lucky" most often on test questions they're unsure of tend to be the smarter ones. They may not remember, but they can make a better educated guess than a less intelligent person, and increase their odds of getting questions they're unsure of right.

In short, people who tend to get "lucky" in life tend to be people who open themselves up to those opportunities the most. This can be through smarts, skills, talents, or just a just plain positive lifestyle. It can also be artificially altered by one's outlook; positive, happy people may not actually be more lucky but rather simply focus on the good things more, and know how to manage the bad better.

[Wolfdude]

To rephrase myself after reading the intelligent post of Nakor: Im skilled.^^

[TsukikoSuoh]

I'd rather earn what I get, thank you, luck can be a great thing but I'd feel no sense of accomplishment like that. I'd rather work hard and be intelligent than live off the lotto and do nothing. If intelligence were outweighed by luck this entire planet would go to SHIRT, pardon the expression if you please.

PDBAZ!