Luck Luck Limmat Category="Superstitions"This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality

This article is about good and bad fortune. There is also: Luck, Volhynia, a town in Ukraine, and Luck, Wisconsin, a village in the USA.

Luck may be analysed from three viewpoints: rational, social, and spiritual.

Rational viewpoint

As related to the occurrences of actual events considered to be of low Probability in a mathematical or statistical sense. A rationalist approach would lead to the conclusion that such matters as whether or not someone bore a victim ill will would have no bearing upon (for example) that person being hit by a loose brick falling from a decrepit building. It was only due to a remote statistical probability that a person happened to be walking past when a brick fell. In a case like this, both rationalists and spiritualists would likely say that the victim was unlucky. In an example of good luck, a person winning a Lottery would generally be considered lucky, although a rationalist might point out that there was bound to be a winner sooner or later, and there was actually nothing lucky about someone winning - it was merely a probabilistic event. It is doubtful that the winner would agree with that analysis, however.

Social viewpoint

As a social phenomenon, there is much truth in the sayings "you reap what you sow" Galatians 6:7 and "what goes around, comes around" (see Karma). On the one hand, those who are kind and generous to others are usually perceived as open and accepting, and so more likely to be freely offered assistance from others. They are also more likely to be able to ask for and receive help from others in time of need. On the other hand, those who are asocial or anti-social are less likely ask for assistance, or to be offered assistance by others. The open, generous and cheerful person is more likely to be classified by others as lucky, while the Curmudgeon is more likely to be considered by others or to consider him/her self unlucky.

Supernatural viewpoint

There is also sometimes considered to be a Supernatural bias towards experiencing events of good or ill fortune. In this sense some believe that one's own or another's good or bad luck can be influenced through spiritual means or by performing certain rituals or by avoiding certain (from a rational viewpoint non-relevant) situations. Voodoo is a religious practice in which this belief is particularly strong, although many cultures worldwide place a strong emphasis on a person's ability to influence their luckiness by ritualistic means. This often involves proper respect for spirits, believed to inhabit a location prior to human occupation. In some cultures, if one builds a house on a property it is respectful to provide a small Spirit house for their habitation. In other cultures, a building may be interrupted by a passageway to allow the flow of spiritual energy - the location being determined by an expert in such matters. In such cultures, ignoring such matters is believed to lead to misfortune - bad luck. In this context, there is also the concept of "purpose" to events ascribed to luck, good or bad.

Biblical Truth for the Israelites

Walk in the ways (statutes and judgments) of the LORD and prosperity, sucess, etc. - "good luck" will overtake you. Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Disobey His laws and the opposite will come upon you. Death, disease, famine, disaster, etc.- "bad luck." Deuteronomy 28:15-68

Effects of viewpoint and beliefs

The belief in luck as a supernatural phenomenon is generally regarded by rationalists as a form of Magical thinking. However, there is evidence that people who believe themselves to have good luck are more able to take advantage of fortunate chance events in their lives, and to compensate for unfortunate chance events in their lives, than people who believe that they have bad luck. This appears to be the result of positive thinking altering their responses to these events. A belief in luck can also indicate a belief in an external Locus of control for events in their life, and so escape from personal responsibility.

Some philosophers argue that we each "create our own reality", literally and not metaphorically, and in that context what appears to be good luck can be interpreted as having beliefs that encourage or create what are putatively good outcomes.

Risky lifestyles

Often those who ascribe their travails to "bad luck" will be found upon close examination to be living risky lifestyles. For example: a drunk driver may ascribe their arrest to the bad luck of being observed by a patrolman, or the bad luck of being involved in a traffic accident (perhaps not even the victim's fault), as a way of avoiding personal responsibility for their actions.

Positive outlook

On the other hand, people who consider themselves "lucky" in having good health may be actually reaping the benefits of a cheerful outlook and satisfying social relationships, both of which are well known statistically to be protective against many stress-related diseases.

Effects

If "good" and "bad" events occur at random to everyone, believers in good luck will experience a net gain in their fortunes, and vice versa for believers in bad luck. This is clearly likely to be self-reinforcing. Thus, although untrue, a belief in good luck may actually be an adaptive Meme.

The Gambler's fallacy and Inverse gambler's fallacy are both related to belief in luck.

Numerology

Most cultures consider some numbers to be lucky or unlucky. This is found to be particularly strong in Asian cultures, where the obtaining of "lucky" telephone numbers, automobile license plate numbers, and household addresses are actively sought, sometimes at great monetary expense.

Sayings

Popular sayings and quotations related to luck:

Items or events

Several items or happenings are considered lucky or unlucky.

Lucky

Unlucky

Luck in fiction

Song Lyrics

See also

External links