Failure is where success likes to hide in plain sight.
I never knew what an engineer did for a living when I was a kid. I still don't.
I respectfully decline the invitation to join your hallucination.
If free will exists, why do the tallest candidates with the best hair usually win elections ?
You don't have to be a 'person of influence' to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me.
Informed decision-making comes from a long tradition of guessing and then blaming others for inadequate results.