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Winning as a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Harvard Business Review

Quality aside, we know that those with a reputation for past success tend to get disproportionate credit for future wins – the “ Matthew effect ” described by the sociologist Robert K. Social scientists tell us that winners keep winning for several reasons. First off, they may just be better.

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Life is Luck — Here’s How to Plan a Career Around It

Harvard Business Review

Sociologist Robert Merton first recognized this phenomenon in academic success and dubbed it “ the Matthew Effect ,” quoting a Bible passage in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Instead of averaging out over time, the initial difference between the investors is compounded.

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