poker luck versus skill and whether variance destroys everyone

Every time someone drags a monster pot with trash hands, the whole table does the usual eye roll about poker being all luck. But over months, isn’t it almost always the same handful of players finishing up? I keep hearing people use variance as the catch-all excuse for bad runs, but to me it feels like that’s only half the story. If skill didn’t matter, how are there players consistently grinding out profit in live rooms or online, especially the crypto ones where people love to bluff crazy?

At the same time, even with a solid strategy, I’ve been on tilt after downswings that feel mathematically impossible. It messes with your head and bankroll for sure. But does anyone honestly think variance wrecks everyone equally long term, or is that just what losing players tell themselves? Where’s the real line between running bad and just playing bad?