Behavioral Grooves Podcast Eight Years Grooving: Why People Succeed | Bob McKinnon (Republish)
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Oct 9, 2025 
Bob McKinnon, a researcher and podcaster known for his work on social mobility and success narratives, explores the complex interplay of luck, privilege, and hard work in achieving success. He discusses how the stories we tell often overlook systemic barriers that shape outcomes. McKinnon illustrates the 'fundamental attribution error' and shows how recognizing our biases can foster empathy. Drawing on personal experiences, he emphasizes the need for compassionate curiosity to bridge societal divides and enhance understanding.
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Monopoly Shows Luck Shapes Behavior
- Paul Piff's Monopoly study gave one player better starting resources and showed behavioral differences emerge from luck.
- Winners then attributed success to their actions while overlooking the initial coin flip advantage.
Most People Overweight Personal Agency
- Surveys show about half the country credits success mainly to individual effort and ranks hard work highest.
- People massively underappreciate luck and structural factors in life outcomes.
Headwinds Bias Our Life Stories
- Our remembered self overweights struggles (headwinds) and undercounts help (tailwinds).
- That skewed memory shapes narratives that exaggerate personal struggle and downplay external support.
