LUCK - Or lack thereof.

[Pupik]

I'm still alive, made a number of questionable decisions in life, said life is pretty damn good.

I'm not at all fatalistic...but I suppose the answer is yes.

 

[Villain]

Jim Irsay certainly believes in Luck.

Spoiler

He even put horseshoes on the helmets!

 

[photonrider]

A favourite lyric of mine fits perfectly here:

"... i've got my gods but, in the end, I make my own way"

I could sit around and wait for lady luck, but i'm far too stubborn to accept her offer of help! A good habit of mine is preparing well for things, so if I fail I treat it as a result of sub-optimum preparation.

Same guy that wrote that, also wrote: "Luck ain't even lucky, got to make your own breaks."
I think it was Diana that did him in.

The poll should have been whether your lucky or not.

Yes I believe in luck and no I am not lucky ever!

Saying 'abracadabra!' sometimes helps.

On the same note - over here in Toronto, the shops are displaying potted clover. It happens to be St. Patrick's Day.

 

[Omnis]

I'm sure it's from a movie starring Adam Sandler...

Happy Gilmore?

Nope. Ice cold.

 

[DG_Silva]

10 points for knowing where that's from.

It's a from a song, Born Under A Bad Sign by Albert King.

 

[Omnis]

It's a from a song, Born Under A Bad Sign by Albert King.

Well, his lyric is "wasn't" not "weren't." I was thinking Hee Haw:

 

[Danoff]

It's really hard to answer this. Do I believe that people can be lucky or unlucky generally and that this can be used to predict future events? No. Do I believe that some people have been luckier than others during their lives, absolutely.

Voted no.

 

[thedeester1]

Ive always been lucky! 1 minute on a slot machine it pays out! 1 Minute with a girl she pays out. I kinda blunder through life on my luck!

 

[photonrider]

It's really hard to answer this. Do I believe that people can be lucky or unlucky generally and that this can be used to predict future events? No. Do I believe that some people have been luckier than others during their lives, absolutely.

Voted no.

This is what confuses me; the phenomenon of those who do not believe in the existence of such a force - yet believe that it effects some people. How is this possible?

In fact I have an atheist friend who blows on his dice ( 'for luck!') before he tosses them. This means he not only believes in 'The Great Random', but also in 'Lady Luck'.

That to me is a bad spell in the brew.

Now if there was such a way of controlling this 'non-existent' force - would also carrying a rabbit's foot help?

 

[TankAss95]

Nope.

By the way, is luck compatible with pre-determinism?

 

[photonrider]

Don't you know?

In time, you'll live and learn.

 

[Danoff]

This is what confuses me; the phenomenon of those who do not believe in the existence of such a force - yet believe that it effects some people. How is this possible?

You misunderstand. I'm saying my answer depends on the definition of luck. Is it a universal force that influences results? Or is it a description of particular sample of random events?

Guy has a birth defect that causes a sudden aneurysm in his brain at age 22 and he dies. That's unlucky.

Do I think that he was inherently unlucky, or that the forces of luck conspired against him? No. Do I think that the random result that he got was below the mean value (for a specified set)? Yes.

A lottery winner is lucky (for winning the lottery). Not because they blew on dice or wore a rabbits foot - but because they received a favorable result that was extremely unlikely.

 

[Madertus]

I don't believe in luck. I once believed, but then I turned 16 and I realised a thing or two. I believe in coincidences.

'Luck'... it's just an empty word describing something which occured out of nowhere, giving any benefits.

And there's decision making, it's either a good one or a bad one, nothing connected with LUCK.

(not sure why I voted 'yes')

 

[Pyle_PMG]

I believe in a thing called luck! Who ah aaahhh oooO!!!

I know that isn't the proper lyrics in the song.

I think it does exist.

 

[Alex.]

To my studio supervisors I'm known as the unluckiest man alive in terms of university work. The run I'm on at the minute is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[photonrider]

It's really hard to answer this. Do I believe that people can be lucky or unlucky generally and that this can be used to predict future events? No. Do I believe that some people have been luckier than others during their lives, absolutely.

Voted no.

You misunderstand. I'm saying my answer depends on the definition of luck. Is it a universal force that influences results? Or is it a description of particular sample of random events?

Guy has a birth defect that causes a sudden aneurysm in his brain at age 22 and he dies. That's unlucky.

Do I think that he was inherently unlucky, or that the forces of luck conspired against him? No. Do I think that the random result that he got was below the mean value (for a specified set)? Yes.

A lottery winner is lucky (for winning the lottery). Not because they blew on dice or wore a rabbits foot - but because they received a favorable result that was extremely unlikely.

Bolded mine.

And I am at a disadvantage, then; I'm doing my best to understand this phenomenon of a concept that doesn't (or logically shouldn't) exist, and yet the label is applied to many circumstances. if 'Luck' doesn't exist - then 'lucky' shouldn't.
You say that your answer depends on the definition of luck. I wholeheartedly agree. That is what we are trying to do here. Define the ineffable. 'Forces of Luck' you say . . . that is infinitly interesting. If such 'forces' exist, how do we harness their power towards a favourable outcome?

AFAIK - everything has a frequency. So can the atoms of this so called luck, when converted to energy, be coerced to radiate fortune? A rabbit's foot may work for some. Others have a locket of their loved one's hair around their necks. And still others fight over whether 13 is lucky or not. (Maybe fortunate for me, since it synchronistically seems to crop up at 'fortunate' moments)

Nope.

By the way, is luck compatible with pre-determinism?

Positive Thinking? Vincent Peale will agree.


Thanks for joining in. We shall hunt this fella down someday! 👍

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Lack thereof.

 

[photonrider]

Lack thereof.

Does this mean 'no' luck?

If it doesn't exist, then what you are going through is normal.
If it does exist ('bad' luck, 'no' luck) then there must be a way of changing your luck.

Some Feng Shui, maybe?

The real Beeblebrox was quite lucky I would say; in fact very lucky all things considered. So . . . get yourself a 'lucky charm'. Now . . . what would Beeblebrox do randomly to change his luck?

 

[kennylmao]

Hmm, not really a story about luck but if you do believe in luck then it is. Had an exam today with free seating. As usual whenever I get to choose, I go straight to the back, and so I did just that. And lucky old me choose table number 13. Only when I sat down and the exam started did I realised this but it doesn't really matter because I don't believe in luck.

 

[photonrider]

Kenny - the point is - are you 'luckier' (do you ace the exam) when you sit at #13? Does it make a difference? If you track it what would the Law of Averages applied to your results show? If you ace your exams more often than not when you sit at #13 - obviously it would be wiser (or 'luckier') for you to grab that seat when it's time to ace.
Take the Powerball Lottery for instance - would being in Indiana add to your 'Luck'?

 

[photonrider]

I did mention Feng Shui before - what is this? To keep a long story short - it is basically the management of Energy.
According to the principles of Feng Shui, there are both positive and negative energies, and the precise management of these energies via objects, and the arrangements of them, can bring either good 'fortune' or bad.
Obviously - if your brake pads are in the right place, then the energy you wish to transfer to the wheels will be better transmitted. Is this likewise in other things around us? Will the colour of your front door or the direction it faces have an impact on your real life? Feng Shui seems to think so.
In fact the Chinese word 'Fu' can mean both - 'Good Luck' as well as 'Happiness' and is often used interchangeably.
So therefore 'Bad Luck' = 'Unhappiness'.

The trick is . . . is there a trick to it? Is it just a coincidence that the majority of BMWs and Mercs in Toronto are driven by Chinese? Or are their choice of marques actually a form of Feng Shui? Or the result of it?

 

[Bye Ya]

I think it depends on your definition of luck. Certain people will be in the right place at the right time, and others won't.

 

[Dean]

If luck does exist, - then, I've only got the bad part of it.

 

[AOS-]

If luck does excist, - then, I've only got the bad part of it.

I'll bet.

 

[AOS-]

Will the direction your door faces have an impact on your real life?

It could. You could imagine that a person who walks out the door with a view of a beautiful sunrise every morning for a month could be overall more happier than someone who doesn't.

I don't support Feng Shui per se, I'm just giving an interpretation of broad descriptions.

 

[kikie]

Luck is relative.

A pessimist will feel unlucky all the time and a positive minded person will feel lucky where as the pessimist thinks he/she's unlucky in the same situation.

E.g:

1) A few days ago, the key of my bicycle lock broke off when locking it. I didn't know until I got back to my bike and tried to open it.
The lock wasn't completely locked and I was able to ride home.

I was lucky that the lock wasn't completely locked. A pessimist would say that he/she was unlucky because his/her lock was broken.


2) Yesterday afternoon I was driving my father's Honda Camino. When I was about 10km from where I live, the little 2 stroke engine stopped working. There is a bicycle switch so I was able to pedal home. It was a nice experience because I saw this as a "kind off" physical excersise on top of my work out.

I'm sure that a pessimist would think that he/she was having bad luck.



Sometimes people do have bad luck without being at fault. It's what you make of it afterwards.
The last 6 years, I went through two major clinical depressions with daily nervous breakdowns.
Now that I'm much better, I consider these depressions as something that I had to go through to get rid off my chronic depressions and emotionally instabillity, I was suffering from for years. I'm a much better person than I was before (emotionally). So I don't consider myself to be unlucky because I was sick for many years. I consider myself to be lucky to go through these ordeals and gotten better.


It's a personal opinion and I hope I won't get negative comments like I had many times a few years ago; e.g.: you're stupid disease; you're an emo, you're a moron etc... .

 

[BobK]

It's been too dang long since I "got lucky" on a date.

 

[photonrider]

Luck is relative.

...................................................

Sometimes people do have bad luck without being at fault. It's what you make of it afterwards.
The last 6 years, I went through two major clinical depressions with daily nervous breakdowns.
Now that I'm much better, I consider these depressions as something that I had to go through to get rid off my chronic depressions and emotionally instabillity, I was suffering from for years. I'm a much better person than I was before (emotionally). So I don't consider myself to be unlucky because I was sick for many years. I consider myself to be lucky to go through these ordeals and gotten better.

It's a personal opinion and I hope I won't get negative comments like I had many times a few years ago; e.g.: you're stupid disease; you're an emo, you're a moron etc... .

Well - it's been quite some time since you posted that - and there have been no negative comments so your luck must be holding out. Or the staff must be doing a really good jib around here!

However - when I first read your post (sometime back - never did get a chance to respond) I found it very insightful - and a great contribution to this discussion. 👍
Sometimes - it's a matter of perpective, isn't it?

It's been too dang long since I "got lucky" on a date.

You bring up an interesting point, BobK (as always, with that self-confessed lack of empathy, you see things unadultrated by over-extended emotion) because - first of all - are you some kind of sex-maniac, or what? You get 'lucky' on a date only if it's the third date - there should be no such 'lucky' things happening on the first date. In fact, getting 'lucky' on the first date will probably end in a one-night-stand.
But, here's the point - the word 'lucky' applied to this situation. Why? What does it mean to get 'lucky', if one ends up doing what Nature intended you do as a priority (if not the priority) in life - reproduce yourself.
Obviously we are wired to get terribly happy while indulging in this act - but here's the connection - if I trace the word (or mayhaps 'concept') of 'luck' way back into the past - in fact, if I grab ahold of a Norseman and ask him what 'luck' meant, he'd say 'happ' - because that is what happ means in Norse basically. Luck.
So Happiness = Luck. (Or vice versa, depending on where you are standing.)

To address your 'unlucky' situation though, is easy. Make sure that your dates know the rule: Third time = Lucky.
Therefore . . . if they do go out on a third date with you - then they know the rules, and they know you know the rules, and they also know that you know they know the rules . . . which means if they are out there with you on your third date . . a trip to the Chemists is in order.
In other words you are going to be very . . . well, either Lucky or Happy.

 

[photonrider]

Are these trees really 'Lucky'?
I found people, right in the middle of a grocery store, throwing money at them like it was water.

 

[AOS-]

I think from a positive mindset, just believing that something is lucky will make one become luckier. It doesn't have to be that particular tree, it could be something else entirely as long as the faith put into it is genuine. That said, can you go up to any tree and simply declare that it's a lucky?

(spare me the LOTR meme)