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mostlysignssomeportents:

Cornell economist Robert Frank drew the ire of the nation’s business press when he published an article that said something most economists would agree with: hard work and skill aren’t enough (or even necessary) to succeed; but luck is. Rather than back down from the angry reception, he’s expanded the article into a book, Success and Luck: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy, which came out last month.

Frank’s argument: being born to a rich, privileged family is sometimes sufficient to guarantee success, even for people who aren’t very good at their jobs and don’t work very hard; meanwhile, being born into a family that lacks wealth and privilege can sometimes prevent people from rising in society, even if they are very good and work very hard.

Like any good economist, Frank backs up his argument with studies and statistics; and like any good behavioral economist, he investigates why this obvious fact is so hard for so many Americans to accept, and offers some strategies for overcoming that resistance.

https://boingboing.net/2016/05/13/behavioral-economist-on-why-am.html