Success is often built through effort, not luck.

This man reconnected with a longtime friend who had taken a very different path through university. Although they started their university journeys at school at around the same time, their experiences and outcomes ended up being quite different. At an event, his friend made a comment about his success that led to an uncomfortable exchange and put their friendship under strain.

Here’s an interesting story because it talks about friendship conflicts involving differences in opinions. It highlights how people can view the same situation very differently, especially when comparing their accomplishments to those of others. Read the full story below.

AITA for telling my friend that he hasn’t graduated from university yet because of his own actions?

As a bit of context: Both my friend and I are 30, and we’ve been friends since high school.

I personally think that everyone has their own journey to go on and that there’s nothing wrong with finishing post secondary later than others.

So, coincidentally, my friend and I both started our university journey at the age of 21 with each our own reasons as to why we couldn’t start right out of high school.

This man learned that his friend is still finishing his university courses.

Now, nearly 10 years later, my friend is still taking first and second year courses.

The reason for this is that he’s failed his courses so many times that he’s had to change departments.

And a huge reason for this is that he’ll often spend time going out or playing video games instead of doing assignments.

We’ve sort of drifted apart since then, but we got together a few times a year and chatted online often enough.

His friend thinks that his accomplishments were all based on luck.

However, a few months ago, we were each at an event and, while there, he told me how lucky I was to have graduated and gotten my master’s degree.

This comment kind of rubbed me the wrong way, and I told him that luck has little to do with any of this.

I reminded him that, in our first year together, he never wanted to work on assignments together or study together and that I got to where I am through hard work.

This, in turn, has rubbed him the wrong way as he snubbed me for the remainder of the event and, since then, has refused to talk to me.

So, AITA here for that?

Telling that his success was purely based on luck somehow gave the wrong meaning. That is why OP’s response may have been blunt, but it was not necessarily unfair. The friend could have simply acknowledged that he had worked hard to get to where he is now.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about people who refuse to cut down more trees for their neighbor’s water view after already capitulating once.

Let’s check out other users’ comments on this story.

This user shares an honest opinion.

Another one chimes in.

Here’s a valid point.

Plain and simple.

And lastly, this one agrees with OP.

Hard work may not guarantee success, but it usually gets you farther than excuses.