Survivorship Bias: What Can You Really Learn From Successful People
Beware of advice, including this one.
“Beware of advice — even this.” — Carl Sandburg
Successful people are often used as examples for others to emulate. The message you usually hear is simple, yet seductive. If you do things like them, you too can conquer the world. Follow what they do, act like them, and riches beyond your wildest imagination will come knocking at your door.
Yet, is it true? Lately I have been thinking a lot about the types of lessons you can draw from these cases. Are there relevant things you can pick out and use as blueprints for your life? Or is this just a case of making the points fit the line?
This question goes to the heart of self-improvement. If you spend time on the internet, you will find yourself constantly bombarded by advice from all directions. Whether it is business, life, or fitness, someone has always discovered the latest, greatest formula to make money, get in shape, or be happy.
It’s very hard to differentiate sometimes. I too have often used examples of successful people in order to illustrate some point or lesson. On the other hand, I have also said that you need to take everything with a grain of salt. I warned against taking any…
