Uncovering Assumptions about Success

A self-assessment exercise on basic value orientations; select the item of each pair with which you agree most:

1. Wars are unavoidable.
2. Wars are avoidable.
   
3. Bad luck is conditioned by our behavior.
4. Bad luck is something we do not control.
   
5. To keep trying is the key to success.
6. Success comes and goes according to circumstances.
   
7. People's failure is due to uncontrolled events.
8. People fail because they do not use the right approaches to cope with problems.
   
9. Promotions are linked to good work.
10. To take advantage of opportunities is the key to promotions.
    
11. Whatever you do some people will never like you.
12. People will like you if you approach them the right way.
    
13. Our personality is determined by our genes.
14. Our personality is a function of what we decide to become.
    
15. The art of living is to have faith in one's own destiny.
16. To live happily is to assume responsibility for one's own destiny.
    
17. Good planning leads to success.
18. Fate determines success.
    
19. Life can be unfair to some people.
20. Some people just don't handle life the right way.
    
21. Things can be modified according to our deeds.
22. What has to happen happens.
    
23. To be at the right place at the right time is critical in life.
24. To be alert and ready to take initiatives is critical in life.
    
25. Adversity is something we fight.
26. Adversity is something to which we adapt.
    
27. Power is in the hands of a minority of people who control our society.
28. Each individual is accountable for what happens in our society.
    
29. One can find strengths in each individual.
30. There are people who are simply hopeless.
    
31. Most rational decisions are effective in controlling situations.
32. To decide at random is by and large as effective as any systematic decision-making process.
    
33. Our survival depends on forces of which we are not aware.
34. Our survival depends on our ability to understand and control the world.
    
35. One should be able to learn from one's own mistakes.
36. Mistakes do not help some things and situations change so rapidly.
    
37. Many failures are due to unforeseen events.
38. Failures are mostly due to ignorance.
    
39. Hard work helps people make things happen to them.
40. Chance plays an important role in people's lives.