Things worthwhile generally don’t just happen. Luck is a fact, but should not be a factor. Good luck is what is left over after intelligence and effort have combined at their best. Negligence or indifference are usually reviewed from an unlucky seat. The law of cause and effect and causality both work the same with inexorable exactitudes. Luck is the residue of design.
Interpretation
Success is achieved through deliberate effort and intelligence, rather than relying purely on luck.
This quote by Branch Rickey emphasizes that while luck can play a role in life, true success is a result of intelligence and hard work. It suggests that individuals should focus on their efforts and the strategies they employ, as negligence or apathy can lead to negative outcomes. Ultimately, the quote asserts that luck is merely a byproduct of careful planning and execution rather than a random occurrence.
In practice
In a speech about achieving goals, one might say, 'As Branch Rickey puts it, things worthwhile generally don’t just happen.'
I don't like the subtle infiltration of 'something for nothing' philosophies into the very hearthstone of the American family. I believe that 'Thou shalt earn the bread by the sweat of thy face' was a benediction and not a penalty. Work is the zest of life; there is joy in its pursuit.
There never has been a man in the game who could put mind and muscle together quicker and with better judgment than Robinson.
Cobb lived off the field as though he wished to live forever. He lived on the field as though it was his last day.
Luck is the residue of opportunity and design.
It (a baseball box score) doesn't tell how big you are, what church you attend, what color you are, or how your father voted in the last election. It just tells what kind of baseball player you were on that particular day.
Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn't let that [Jackie] Robinson fellow play ball, I don't think saying 'because of the color of his skin' would be a good enough answer.
One of the characteristics of successful scientists is having courage. Once you get your courage up and believe that you can do important problems, then you can. If you think you can't, almost surely you are not going to.
All of the teams in this league that have won multiple championships, they didn't come out the gate winning. Sometimes you have to take those hits to understand what it takes to win.
The individual who wants to reach the top in business must appreciate the might and force of habit. He must be quick to break those habits that can break him-and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him achieve the success he desires.
I think people have learned that Herbie Hancock can be defined as someone that you won't be able to figure out what he's going to do next. The sky is the limit as far as I'm concerned.
I think I could go away tomorrow. I've already accomplished something. It's such a selfish business that sometimes I get sick of myself.
When we were growing up our parents somehow made it clear that being famous was good. And I mistakenly thought that if I was famous then everyone would love me.
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