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the not completely successful gene with occasional dumb luck

For a thoroughly selfish gene, mutation is a case of partial (albeit very partial) failure. That is, even though th gene aims at copying itself exactly, it is prevented from doing so either by its own failings or by external interference. Some of these mutations, however, are adaptive, i.e., lead to more reproductive success than they would have had without the mutation. Sticking with the anthropmorphic analogy, you might say that genes undergoing these mutations have dumb luck.

One may object to this sort of talk by saying that genes don't aim at anything, so they can't miss or have good luck. To which I would reply, well, then I guess that the metaphor of selfishness is not all that useful or illuminating either.

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