Understanding Luck: Belief, Behavior, and the Power of Perception

We can all admit that some of us are luckier than others. This difference can be the result of the way we think and how we wire our brains. According to Richard Wiseman who is a professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire explored what makes a person lucky or unlucky. The first aspect Wiseman talked about is the openness to opportunities. Wiseman states that “lucky” people pay more attention to creating, noticing, and acting on the opportunities by networking, adapting to the situations, and being open to new experiences. The second aspect is that “lucky” people are more optimistic about the future. They turn bad luck into good by imagining that things could be worse than the current situation. 

Keeping the points Wiseman stated in mind, one can influence luck and make themselves “lucky”. Although the situation doesn’t seem to be lucky or good influence, lucky people tend to influence even themselves to believe everything has a reason and they will end up in a good place. In addition, according to a study made on the human brain, the scientists found out that our brains tend to detect patterns that are good or lucky for us and pay attention to these patterns and their timing. So, in a way our brains regressing to the mean by selecting the correct pattern. 

Imagine you are placing a bet on a game based on chance. If you w,n two bets in a row, you have a 57% chance of winning a third one. But if you lost two bets in a row, you have a 40% chance of winning a third. This is due to the fear of losing again because if they win it this time, they will surely lose the fourth one. So, if you don’t believe you are lucky, just look around, try to be more optimistic, and train your brain to see the better sides of everything you encounter in your day-to-day life.