No one has quite figured out the theory behind luck. Is it about probability or some sort of supernatural factor? Maybe it’s a bit of both? Or maybe it’s an actual thing all its own? Here are how studies have determined what luck really is.
Let’s say you find money on the street. It’s a $50 bill. What are the chances? Of all the people walking down the street, you are the one to see that magnificent piece of paper crumpled up on the floor, and now you’re $50 richer.
Seems easy to think that’s all luck, some random fate designed to fall on your head by a divine cosmic principle.
The same goes for the possibility that this is just a numbers game. It was only a matter of time: someone had to notice that $50 bill, and it just had to be you. There’s no trying to theorize it or even attempt to understand it. The rule of law states that, for example, the ninth person walking down the street will notice the cash, and statistically 70% of the time that one person will pick it up and pocket it.
The theory of luck has always been governed by either something divine or basic theoretical mathematics. What do you think? Which one is it?
Studies have shown that the concept of “luck” actually has nothing to do with mathematics and probably not fate.
No, you are the reason for your luck.
“Luck” actually revolves more around psychology than anything else. The reason why you just happened to come across that $50 bill and picked it up was due to your own positive attitude, keeping you open for new opportunities and seeing the patterns of randomness in all acts of chance.
You can flip four heads in a row and feel lucky, but what are the chances of getting tails on your next turn? You’d obviously think the chances are very high since you already flipped heads so many times.
Luck makes you feel like it only lasts a short while. You have to run out of luck eventually, right?
That’s not the case, though. Statistically your chances of flipping tails are still 50/50 no matter how you feel. That, therefore, means your own outlook determines your own luck. Because you flipped heads that much already, your brain’s telling you there’s no way you’ll hit heads again—but statistically, chances are no different.
In other words, you make your own luck by pushing forward. Because, you never know—you might actually keep winning.
Everyone understands probability, but what people don’t count on is whether or not you’re counting on probability at all. This is where luck comes in. Your attitude is what makes you “lucky.”
How’s that possible? The answers lies in the results of a study that found that a person’s odds of winning a third bet after winning the last two are 57%, opposed to a mere 40% when a person has lost the last two bets.
It means people actually fear that their “losing streak” might get better if they just try harder, resulting in their choice to either make riskier bets or not bet at all. But a gambler making safe bets overtime tends to win more down the road.
Forget numbers, it’s all about your mentality. If you feel that you’ll win, you’ll put more on the table, risk more (but not too much). Before you know it, you’ll be feeling lucky because you kept pushing for the ultimate outcome.
This even works with superstition. For example, studies have shown that golf players perform better when using their “lucky ball.” But why would a lucky charm have any effect?
It’s simple—because you believe it does, so you keep trying. And when you keep trying, you’ll eventually succeed.
It’s always about attitude, persistence, and confidence. This is a true testament to the iconic phrase, “I make my own luck.”
Luck doesn’t come from math or magic. All it takes is for you to say “I can.”
You, of course, can and will succeed, technically 50% of the time. But how you succeed, what you’re succeeding in, and how much you win out of that 50%? That’s all up to you.
Pierre Roustan is an author, adventurer, father, philosopher, philanthropist, athlete, gamer, U.S. chess champion, health nut, activist, and advocate for humanity, living in a quiet home with his wife, four daughters and one son in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He’s trekked through tundras, waded through swamps, wandered through deserts, swam in the Great Barrier Reef, explored a shipwreck, walked a runway, sat in prison, been in a mental hospital, adored and hated others, lost and gained a lot, fought wars in a courtroom, lost wars in his heart, and held loved ones in his arms as they breathed their last breath. He’s braved storms of all kinds and has plenty more life to live—and he’s ready to write all about it.
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