The Psychology Of Success Is Mostly Luck

In this video, I look at the evidence behind the idea that hard work inevitably pays off, and why years of trying don't always lead to the outcome we're promised. I’m Barry Ferns, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality. No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers: ▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics ▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomics https://paypal.me/barryseconomics This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame. Chapters 00:00 - 01:05 Introduction 01:05 - 03:43 The Power & Passion of Perseverance 03:43 - 05:36 My Personal Journey With Grit 05:36 - 07:43 The Problem with the Gospel of Grit 07:43 - 09:41 What's It Called When Success Doesn't Arrive 09:41 - 12:58 Grit Is Assigned By Outcome 12:58 - 16:22 Why Is This Not Normally Talked About 16:22 - 18:11 Why This Sounds Like an Excuse 18:11 - 19:54 Why I Made This Video Written, Produced and Directed By Barry Ferns Edited by Becky Goodman How to Support Barry’s Economics Help us stay independent and keep making videos like this. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomics https://ko-fi.com/barryseconomics https://paypal.me/barryseconomics https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics Subscribe for future videos: https://www.youtube.com/@barryeconomics More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/ Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVw You can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomics Instagram: instagram.com/barryseconomics Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vgya63dtCFD5tjODr7BEK?si=Bb6ftvByR1-6vG0Q2BTmMg Twitter: twitter.com/barryseconomics Substack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomics BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.social Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/ Research & further reading Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D. & Kelly, D. R. (2007). “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://gwern.net/doc/psychology/personality/conscientiousness/2007-duckworth.pdf Duckworth, A. L. & Gross, J. J. (2014). “Self-Control and Grit: Related but Separable Determinants of Success.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(5), 319–325. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4737958/pdf/nihms736065.pdf Duckworth, A. L. et al. (2019). “Cognitive and Noncognitive Predictors of Success.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(47), 23499–23504 https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.1910510116 Salganik & Watts Research “Experimental Study of Inequality and Unpredictability in an Artificial Cultural Market.” Science, 311(5762), 854–856. https://www.princeton.edu/~mjs3/salganik_dodds_watts06_full.pdf “Leading the Herd Astray: An Experimental Study of Self-Fulfilling Prophecies in an Artificial Cultural Market.” Social Psychology Quarterly, 71(4), 338–355. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3785310/ “Web-Based Experiments for the Study of Collective Social Dynamics in Cultural Markets.” Topics in Cognitive Science, 1(3), 439–468. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4151995/ Duncan Watts Video Breakdown of His Study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdZ9WDYA4Pc If you’re new to this, check out @garyseconomics first – his channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side. Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00 Want to see the stand-up side of all this? Find my live comedy and storytelling here: https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryferns To learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/ #BarrysEconomics #GarysEconomics #Inequality #BehaviouralEconomics #SocialJustice #BarryFerns #ComedyWithDepth