The debate whether luck is the primary determinant of success in achieving targets

has been heated constantly. My position is that hard work and determination are far
more important than luck, while we must not consider luck as the main precursor of
the attainment of one’s goals.

I advocate the notion that the role of being diligent and determined is more significant
than luck. Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in the 20th century, is an
excellent example of such a notion. He conducted numerous experiments with the
filament until the finest light bulb was produced; and his hard work, rather than luck,
was acknowledged by all the human race. Another clear evidence of this notion is the
case of Nguyen Ngoc Ky. This disabled man could not write by hand, but he was
determined enough to teach himself to write with his foot. The fact that he would then
became one of the greatest teachers in the history of education in Vietnam provides a
concrete foundation that even with bad luck, determination could result in goal
achievement.

By contrast, I believe the saying that fortune has a major part to play is just a fallacy.
One clear reason is that although there may have been a number of people reaching
their goals with good luck, such good luck in most cases only comes to people who
have worked hard. Take Mendeleev as an example. As a research chemist, he worked
tirelessly for a few decades, until one day in his dream, the complete arrangement of
the elements appeared. we could ascribe the appearance of this arrangement to luck,
but no one could deny the extreme effort that Mendeleev had exerted. Another clear
reason for my belief is that luck could only lead people to short-term achievements,
and there is nothing to ascertain that it would continue to exist in the long run. The
over-reliance on good fortune, as a result, would prevent people from achieving their
long-term or life-long aims.

In brief, I think the importance of luck in determining goal attainment is overstated,

while there are much more significant factors to consider, namely hard work and
determination.