Luck. (Lady Luck!)

[Biseinen]

Do you believe in luck? Do you think that certain people are more luckier than others? Items that give you luck, things that you can do to become more 'luckier'? Theres alot of fiction on luck and about how it works, scientifically and not.

There are supposed to be 4 types of luck.




Luck as a lack of control

Luck stands in opposition to control, but not to causation. Luck is that which happens beyond a person's control. This view incorporates phenomena that are chance happenings, a person's place of birth for example, but where there is no uncertainty involved, or where the uncertainty is irrelevant. Within this framework one can differentiate between three different types of luck:

1. Constitutional luck, that is, luck with factors that cannot be changed. Place of birth and genetic constitution are typical examples.
2. Circumstantial luck, that is, luck with factors that are haphazardly brought on. Accidents and epidemics are typical examples.
3. Ignorance luck, that is, luck with factors you do not know about. Examples can be identified only in hindsight.

Luck as a fallacy

A rationalist approach to luck includes the application of the rules of probability, and an avoidance of unscientific beliefs. The rationalist feels the belief in luck is a result of poor reasoning or wishful thinking. To a rationalist, a believer in luck commits the post hoc logical fallacy, which argues that because something is sequentially connected, it is connected otherwise, as well:

A happens (luck-attracting event or action) and then B happens;
Therefore, A caused B.

In this particular perspective, probability is only affected by confirmed causal connections. A brick falling on a person walking below, therefore, is not a function of that person's luck, but is instead the result of a collection of understood, (or explainable) occurrences. Statistically, every person walking under the building was just as likely to have the brick fall on them.
The gambler's fallacy and inverse gambler's fallacy both explain some reasoning problems in common beliefs in luck. They involve denying the unpredictability of random events: "I haven't rolled a six all week, so I'll definitely roll one tonight".
Luck is merely an expression noting an extended period of noted outcomes, completely consistent with random walk probability theory. Wishing one "good luck" will not cause such an extended period, but it expresses positive feelings toward the one - not necessarily wholly undesirable.

Luck as an essence

There is also a series of spiritual, or supernatural beliefs regarding fortune. These beliefs vary widely from one to another, but most agree that luck can be influenced through spiritual means by performing certain rituals or by avoiding certain circumstances.
One such activity is prayer, a religious practice in which this belief is particularly strong. Many cultures and religions worldwide place a strong emphasis on a person's ability to influence their fortune by ritualistic means, sometimes involving sacrifice, omens or spells. Others associate luck with a strong sense of superstition, that is, a belief that certain taboo or blessed actions will influence how fortune favors them for the future.
Luck can also be a belief in an organization of fortunate and unfortunate events. Luck is a form of superstition which is interpreted differently by different individuals. Carl Jung described synchronicity: the "temporally coincident occurrences of acausal events". He described coincidences as an effect of a collective unconscious.
Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions believe in the will of a supreme being rather than luck as the primary influence in future events. The degrees of this Divine Providence vary greatly from one to another; however, most acknowledge providence as at least a partial, if not complete influence on luck. These religions, in their early development, accommodated many traditional practices. Each, at different times accepted omens and practice forms of ritual sacrifice in order to divine the will of their supreme being or to influence divine favoritism.
Mesoamerican religions, such as the Aztecs, Mayans and Inca, had particularly strong beliefs regarding the relationship between rituals and luck. In these cultures, human sacrifice (both of willing volunteers and captured enemies) was seen as a way to please the gods and earn favor for the city offering the sacrifice. The Mayans also believed in blood offerings, where men or women wanting to earn favor with the gods, to bring about good luck, would cut themselves and bleed on the gods altar.
Many traditional African practices, such as voodoo and hoodoo, have a strong belief in superstition. Some of these religions include a belief that third parties can influence an individual's luck. Shamans and witches are both respected yet feared based on their ability to cause good or bad fortune for those in villages near them.

Luck as a placebo

Some encourage the belief in luck as a false idea, but which may spawn positive thinking, and alter ones responses for the better. Others like Jean Paul Sartre and Sigmund Freud, feel a belief in luck has more to do with a locus of control for events in one's life, and the subsequent escape from personal responsibility. According to this theory, one who ascribes their travails to "bad luck" will be found upon close examination to be living risky lifestyles. 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. 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.



Taken from wiki.



Do you believe in it? Opinions?

[hit-by-a-car]

No Like in starwars episode 4

Hansolo: Ha, The force, all you need is a good oll blaster and luck
Obi Wan: To me there is no such thing as luck.

So, theres no such thing as luck. win 1000 pounds, still nto luck. The only luck there is is the luck you belive in.

[Mentor]

In simple terms no, Luck is just what we call a fortunate coincidence. It has no effect on the probablty of the coensideing events, or whether they are fortuante or not. So no luck is envolved, luck is just a name assigned to a certain coinsdence we see as posative.

[Tiuhdur]

i beleive in luck and i beleive luck is found by someone when your down,lonely but i myself beleive my luck is stored in my dreams, wierd i know but i have had some strange religous dreams and alot of dejavu please dont take the mick of that because i beleive in it strongly

[brapbrap]

No Like in starwars episode 4

Hansolo: Ha, The force, all you need is a good oll blaster and luck
Obi Wan: To me there is no such thing as luck.

So, theres no such thing as luck. win 1000 pounds, still nto luck. The only luck there is is the luck you belive in.

Imagine you being president.

SENETOR: SO MR PRESIDENT SHOULD WE STOP THE WAR IN IRAQ.
YOU: No, IN "PEE WEE GOES TO TOWN" HE SAYS YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP, ARM THE NUKES.


He asked for your opinion not a film line.

[Tiuhdur]

Imagine you being president.

SENETOR: SO MR PRESIDENT SHOULD WE STOP THE WAR IN IRAQ.
YOU: No, IN "PEE WEE GOES TO TOWN" HE SAYS YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP, ARM THE NUKES.


He asked for your opinion not a film line.

hmm yes a point erm may i ask wheres your opinion?

[Liriel]

Luck, in my opinion is something which is not gained, not possessed, but a random occurance which happens which is just labled as luck. Theres no such thing, just a good fortune which you may consider good.

[GJay]

Luck exists. It's just like a virus I suppose, except it's opposite of the common cold. I've had luck sometimes, not often but it's great when I have. My biggest luck was finding Karl, he was a 1 in a million piece of luck hehe.

Hmm, I suppose you could take the theory from Red Dwarf...If you do, just google Red Dwarf Quarantine.

[cocaine]

Imagine you being president.

SENETOR: SO MR PRESIDENT SHOULD WE STOP THE WAR IN IRAQ.
YOU: No, IN "PEE WEE GOES TO TOWN" HE SAYS YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP, ARM THE NUKES.


He asked for your opinion not a film line.

:rolleyes:


He was using it as an example, I bet even you wouldn't use a film line in a real life crisis.

[OmgAMark]

Personally, no I do not beleive in luck.

Luck such as time is a figure of speech really. A man made object or a paradox refrence to wording. Its almost a figment of our imaginations.

If you were to beleive you had bad luck, then forwith from then you would take certain apprehension towards bad events that happen to you and not the good. It's just noticing the bad and disregarding the good.

Time in other words, only exsists because we use it as a correction of moments. If we were not to exist then the time would not abide to our universe. Yes the world would continue to circuit and our planets would continue to stay in gyration but time as the essence and knowledge would not.

In a sense its what we portray it to be. If we beleive we have good or bad luck then we will be bias to the either good or bad outcomes that follow through.

I do not beleive luck exists.