MovieChat Forums > The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Discussion > He was lucky not just hard working

He was lucky not just hard working


This film basically espouses the old 'if you work hard enough and believe in yourself, you can make your dreams come true' mantra.

But Chris, while working hard, also had a fair amount of luck on his side. He was lucky he was born very smart, he was lucky also that physiologically he was able to deal with enormous stress and little sleep without getting ill.

But there are so many people out there who aren't incredibly smart, through no fault of their own (just genetics), and who physically couldn't cope with the demands that kind of lifestyle put on them. I always see people saying 'anyone can make it if they try hard' etc etc, but it's just not true.

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That's a great point.

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I agree. Luck plays a lot in success. I know many hard working people very very hard working people yet they still struggle in life.

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I agree about his luck. He had terrible luck but also ''good luck'' for one of the many people caught in a a situation of terribly life events and occurrences leading to homelessness. You are thinking just what I was thinking, he's VERY lucky he didn't get sick.
There are plenty of people trying to pull themselves and their child out of the brink of homelessness and then a cancer diagnosis comes along (I know a person like that in real life, a young mother). He's also very lucky he didn't have a mental break down either. Lots of people in his situation have a nervous break down or go into drug addiction very easily. Again as you mentioned, it was likely his higher than average intellect that kept him focused on surviving without letting his emotions take over.

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