Why Being Delusional is a Superpower
Why Hacker News recommends it
Linked in threads about meritocracy, careers and startups as a reminder that luck shapes who ends up on top.
What it is
Veritasium examines the role of luck in success, with simulations and examples showing how small advantages and chance can compound. It argues that top outcomes are disproportionately luck-driven while still crediting effort.
Recommended by 9 HN commenters across 9 different months, 2020 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec O_H_E · 2021-03 · on “High IQs are associated with mental and physical disorders”
Semi tangent: I would really recommend watching "Is Success Luck or Hard Work?" By Veritasium [this video]
Strong rec cgrealy · 2021-08 · on “The 3x+1 Problem [video]”
Absolutely. His "gravity is not a force" video led me through a whole range of emotions from "this is ridiculous" to "actually..." to "holy crap, I've been wrong about this my entire life". In terms of sheer brain-breaking... this is my favourite: [LINK] But this is the one I think people on HN need to watch most [this video]
Strong rec travisgriggs · 2021-11 · on “How imaginary numbers were invented [video]”
I love Veritasium. Derek has done a number of videos that are awesome like this. The videos are great and educational, but he also manages to subtly weave in an almost spiritual subtext to them as well. For example, in this one, you learn about imaginary numbers in some cool ways, history, how awesome e^ix is, etc, but also this yen-yang balance between embracing not only what is real but taking a chance on what is imaginary. Some of my other favorites: - [LINK] - [LINK] - [LINK] - [this video] - [LINK] I think he’s going to lose the $10,000 bet on the car though.
Recommends hyuuu · 2020-08 · on “I thought I would have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35”
this is an interesting view: [this video] how luck plays a role to your success but also how you perceive your success which will change your behavior
Recommends xorfish · 2020-09 · on “Six Figures in 6 days”
Ah, success, luck and skill. A really interesting topic. There is also a very good Veritasium Video about that: [this video]
Recommends rgifford · 2021-06 · on “How to Work Hard”
Stats measure our shared experience. Is there something better for this? The human spirit isn't unconquerable. Believing it is has the side effect that you write off others because, "try harder." Vertasium did a fairly convincing bit on the zip code thing, which is -- I think -- why it's top of mind: [this video] I encourage you to dig into economic data and not use your experience as a frame of reference for the economic reality of others.
Recommends ookdatnog · 2022-03 · on “Class Bullshitters”
Discussions on the role of luck in success pop up here on HN from time to time, and one pattern that stands out to me is that, for a good chunk of people, it seems really important to their sense of identity that luck is at best a minor factor in their success. Your post is one of the more direct renderings of that point of view: you don't really argue that the parent post is wrong, merely that it's not a healthy way to frame it. Which makes me curious: why do you believe that it is bad for someone to believe that their success is largely caused by luck? As an aside, personally I subscribe to this view on the interaction of luck and success: [this video]
Recommends belter · 2022-06 · on “I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)”
> Out of pretty much all the people I know, I can't think of any successful career not pivoting on one such fateful moment of "luck". One lucky question/answer, one fortunate encounter, one near miss. You are so correct (at proper timestamp): [this video]