What is Luck? Luck is the feeling that defines the human condition and the feeling of opportunity, particularly unexpected, good, or unlikely occurrences. It refers to the unearned positive side of human nature, whereas fortune is the unpredictable negative side of human nature. There is an old saying that says, “There are no such things as lucky or bad, but only luck.”
Luck has become the most used concept in the academic literature in the recent times, and for very good reason. This is because everyone wants to be a lucky person. According to economists and many other social scientists, luck is actually a kind of internal determent, a mechanism that helps people be successful in the actual world and make them feel good while they are pursuing their goals. The concept of luck can be traced back to the earliest of societies; for instance, it can be found in the Bible, where there are references to God providing special favor for specific individuals or groups, which may include the sparing of a man’s daughter from drowning. The Bible further states that this favor was based on the fact that God is just and does not deserve any favor. Luck is therefore part and parcel of human life and is attributable to both nature and nurture.
In today’s world however, many people have lost sight of the fact that luck is an attitude and not a substance. Luck has nothing to do with the actual chances of something happening. For instance, if someone asks you, “What is luck?” and you answer, “Lucky for you to ask that question,” then that person has in fact defined what is luck for him-a subjective attitude. That is not luck.
So then, what is unlucky? Irrespective of your choice of questions, the answer will always be the same: accidents. This is because the odds of accidents are extremely high, and, statistically, the more unfortunate a person is, the more chances he has of encountering an accident. We all know that most accidents are caused by the reckless driving habits of the driver or passengers of a vehicle, but we also know that drivers can be made to be less reckless if certain safety precautions are taken.
What is fortunate is having what is called a “hard work” ethic. For example, a person who drives an old car because it is cheap or because it is prettily painted will have a much more difficult time of overcoming the odds than a person who drives a new car with all the latest bells and whistles because it is also cheap. The reason for this is that it takes more than money to make a nice car appear attractive. Likewise, it takes more than hard work to overcome the odds.
What is random chance? This is a term applied to any event that is not influenced by any outside source such as temperature, wind, cloud cover or any other external factor. For example, when you choose a coin from the vending machine, you have a definite chance of winning, but this chance is dependent upon the chances that the coin is one that will land on the dollar bill. If the coin does land on the bill, you have a good chance of winning, while if the coin does not land at all, you have no chance of winning.
What is luck? Luck is defined as “an unforeseen or uncontrollable occurrence that has a beneficial impact on the outcome” by Wikipedia. According to Halliday and Martin, luck can be defined as “a favorable or unanticipated result that has a beneficial impact on the outcome”. In their definition, luck is an “unseen, often unseen, but usually predictable result of active skill, desire, or courage”. Thus, it can be seen as both a positive and negative aspect, but on the good side, it gives us the opportunity to be and do the things that we are able to do, even if we have to work hard for it. xsla
So, it appears that the question of what is luck is not an easy one. While fate may play a part in how badly we are blessed, there are many things beyond our control. However, it is important to keep in mind that good fortune and bad luck are both just aspects of human life that are unavoidable. What is good luck then, if not the opportunities that we are born with?