While our culture often attributes achievement to "good genes" - praising attractive looks, natural intelligence, or innate resilience - the reality is more complex than simple genetic determinism. There's evidence suggesting genetic factors influence not just our baseline capabilities, but also our capacity to develop and maintain the beneficial behaviors needed for success. This includes predispositions affecting executive function, stress response, emotional regulation, and basic temperament traits that can make sustained effort and resilience more achievable for some individuals. However, these genetic advantages only represent potential - they must interact with environmental factors like access to education, supportive relationships, proper nutrition, and opportunities to be fully realized. Understanding this interplay helps us move beyond oversimplified praise of "natural talent" while still acknowledging that genetic factors create different starting points for developing crucial traits. This doesn't mean those with less favorable genetic predispositions cannot achieve success - rather, it suggests they may need different strategies and more conscious effort to develop similar capabilities.