1/8 Inspired to share one of my most intrinsic beliefs catalyzed by a tweet by @soniabhay6. Here goes: (thread)

2/8 There is an unsettling fact about our lives. That fact is that everything in life is random. As humans we don’t like to acknowledge this. We feel comfortable only when we can rationalize what happens to us. We have the “illusion of control”. So much so, that...

3/8 we don’t even let someone else roll the dice for us as we believe we “fully control” the outcome. Read any autobiography and you will see the chest thumping author narrate intricate stories of effort and perseverance that led to success.

4/8 But the fact really is that most of what happened to them was not the result of some objective effort-output co-relation. In fact, everything that happened to them was due to luck i.e. random events that worked in their favor e.g. being at the right place at the right time.

5/8 That everything is random is a disturbing thought and can lead us to inaction; since I cannot control what happens to me, should I become a complete fatalist? Should I, for example, not care how I drive because I do not control other drivers’ actions and...

6/8 ...might meet with an accident irrespective? This is also a most unhelpful mindset. Amidst all the chaos and randomness, the only thing that we well and truly have control over is the effort we put in and how we react to situations.

7/8 And again, by working hard and being sensible about decision making, the only thing we do is reduce the probability of failure. We don’t necessarily control 100% the true outcome.

8/8 Hence if you are intelligent, then you would set a target and just focus on honest effort without worrying about the results. This is the only true philosophy for a happy life and will also help you stay humble along the way. (fin)