I'd rather be lucky than good.

KBintheSLC · Mar 3, 2009

I was watching a WWII documentary a while back in which a veteran of the siege on Iwo Jima said that only luck spared him from death. He said that at one point in time, virtually every cubic meter of air space was filled by a high-velocity chunk of searing metal. He said that it didn't really matter how good you were when the lead started to fly. If you were not lucky, you were dead.

I wanted to see what your opinions are on what works best... lucky or good. I know that on the street, you are unlikely to see anything that resembles the beaches of Iwo Jima. However, we all know that criminals have all of the good weapons, so the likelihood of getting sprayed by an automatic Uzi or AK is slightly more probable. The likelihood of getting sprayed by a group of guys with semi-auto pistols is even more probable. Either way, when the lead starts flying, its anybodies game.

Ideally, we would want to be both lucky and good. But if you had to choose, what would it be? Can luck save you from poor tactics? Can great skill save you from poor luck?

CoRoMo · Mar 3, 2009

I'd rather be consistently adequate.

Funderb · Mar 3, 2009

If you read up on police reports in any area, you will find that getting sprayed with an automatic anything is about as likely as being struck by lightening.

I'd rather be lucky, either way.

rbernie · Mar 3, 2009

However, we all know that criminals have all of the good weapons, so the likelihood of getting sprayed by an automatic Uzi or AK is slightly more probable.

We do NOT 'all know this'. Can you provide a cite for it?

But if you had to choose, what would it be? Can luck save you from poor tactics? Can great skill save you from poor luck?

I believe that there is wisdom in the old saw that chance favors the prepared.

KBintheSLC · Mar 3, 2009

If you read up on police reports in any area, you will find that getting sprayed with an automatic anything is about as likely as being struck by lightening.

Actually, here in Northern Utah, one is many times more likely to be struck by lightning. But thats not really what I am getting at here...

rcmodel · Mar 3, 2009

It seems the "gooder" you get, the luckier you also get.

WWII combat vets, or any other combat vet, will tell you the new guys were far more likely to make a fatal mistake.

rc

Funderb · Mar 3, 2009

^^ but the vets were new once too, and they got lucky to be good.

lucky begets good.

KBintheSLC · Mar 3, 2009

We do NOT 'all know this'. Can you provide a cite for it?

I understand what you are getting at. Most machine guns in this country are legally owned.

Obviously, I am not here stating factual statistics. However, I am assuming that it is far easier for a criminal to buy a machine gun due to the simple fact that they are criminals. All they have to do is come up with the money. They don't need to get permission from Uncle Sam and their BATFE.

Again... that is not the point of this thread.

Patrick_Henry · Mar 3, 2009

+1 for Good.

Extraordinary skill and determination has repeatedly pulled individuals through even some of the most unfortunate situations I can imagine. I've heard of luck pulling somebody through once, but repeatedly? That isn't very likely. Much avoidance of bad situation comes from skill not dumb luck. Remember, even in the story you are referencing, if armies were not well organized around objectives, and "good" individual would simply find a less dangerous way of neutralizing the threat... Most of us simply choose to avoid fighting anything where the odds get that low...

Pulse · Mar 3, 2009

in War, skills and personaly abillity saves you until the Artillery kicks in, the flyboys come down and the heavy armor rolls in, after that is it pure luck.

as long as the Criminals around you dont have Close Air Support, Artillery on stand-by and drive around in IFVs and MBTs, i would rather be good.

Lewis130 · Mar 3, 2009

If you are lucky, every round you fire will be a fatal hit, and every round they fire will be a wide miss. A lucky person doesn't need to be good.
Sadly, luck doesn't tend to be consistently prevailent.

Hoxviii · Mar 3, 2009

Luck comes to those that prepare.

So I'll definitely agree with a couple other posters, the line between good and lucky can be very thin, very fuzzy, and in general not well defined.

The better you are, the luckier you'll be so I'd like to be good enough to be lucky consistently.

Claude Clay · Mar 3, 2009

rather be good and lucky

Boba Fett · Mar 3, 2009

I want to be good so I can make the most of my luck.

jnyork · Mar 3, 2009

Ever notice that the people who work the hardest and are the best prepared are always the luckiest?

Schofield · Mar 3, 2009

I believe that there is wisdom in the old saw that chance favors the prepared.

Shoot! I want to change my vote.

Boba Fett · Mar 3, 2009

Schofield

I believe that there is wisdom in the old saw that chance favors the prepared.

Click to expand...

Shoot! I want to change my vote.

Too late! You weren't prepared to vote and now yer outta luck

Welcome to the forum new member ^_^/

KBintheSLC · Mar 3, 2009

Ever notice that the people who work the hardest and are the best prepared are always the luckiest?

There could be some truth to that. I don't know if it is coincidence or divine intervention. But somehow, luck does offer itself more readily to those who reciprocate with effort.

mbt2001 · Mar 3, 2009

Either way, when the lead starts flying, its anybodies game.

I kind of agree and disagree with this at the same time. I agree that if it is your time to go, it is your time, can't stop it...

But if you think for an instant that tactics, nerve and accuracy do not matter you are deluding yourself.

He said that at one point in time, virtually every cubic meter of air space was filled by a high-velocity chunk of searing metal.

I highly doubt that. I am sure he might have been taking heavy fire, but COVER is still COVER and ACCURACY still wins the day.

GTSteve03 · Mar 3, 2009

Lucky.

Doesn't matter how good you are, if Lady Luck decides today the dice don't roll your way, nothing you can do about it.

Odd Job · Mar 3, 2009

Lucky is best. It is always ON.
Being good still requires you to be aware of a threat and take it on, or evade.
But even a blind hog gets lucky once in a while and finds an acorn.

Ditto_95 · Mar 3, 2009

Why can't I be both?

Schofield · Mar 3, 2009

Lucky is best. It is always ON.
Being good still requires you to be aware of a threat and take it on, or evade.
But even a blind hog gets lucky once in a while and finds an acorn.

i can't decide!!! :uhoh:

danweasel · Mar 3, 2009

Lucky beats good all day long.

It only takes one unlucky instance to erase all the good you work so hard for. It seems to me that dumb and lucky can occasionally beat good and prepared but even the best can jam/break a rifle, get hit by a mortar shell or a landmine, or catch malaria, or get into a bad rollover. Etc. These are some of the things that being good definitely will reduce but can never beat.

Of course this is assuming there is such a thing as "luck".

Anyways, I'm not either, so...

ThrottleJockey · Mar 3, 2009

I for one have found it to be true that SMART can take the place of both. If you are adequately SMART then you will appear lucky and be "good"!

I'd rather be lucky than good.

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