Are you lucky?

[alanschu]

Bad luck today.  My car drifted off the dirt road I live on and hit the embankment.  The embankment along this section of the road consists of granite boulders.  Front left corner is all bent in and the driver's side door now pops and screeches when you open and close it. 

 

On the bright side I looked over it after checking to make sure it's still driving okay, and the engine compartment is untouched as well as the suspension and wheel well.  The bumper and the fender absorbed all the damage while leaving the rest of the car untouched and it was a piece of junk in the first place. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Sounds like you could conclude good luck from your experience.

[alanschu]

During Katrina people complained because they didn't get help for days.

 

People couldn't get a tent to ward of the winter in Pakistan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Were the people in Pakistan moping more about their bad luck (which is significantly worse than people that didn't get help for a few days) than the Katrina victims?

[kumquatq3]

or that once again he proved that he is invicible and can drive drunk all he wants

[kumquatq3]

During Katrina people complained because they didn't get help for days.

 

People couldn't get a tent to ward of the winter in Pakistan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Were the people in Pakistan moping more about their bad luck (which is significantly worse than people that didn't get help for a few days) than the Katrina victims?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I wouldn't know, they speak a language I don't understand.

 

but I guarantee they moped for a longer amount of time!

 

BTW, was the points about Sudan & Afghanistan conceded

[alanschu]

I'm unaware of the level of plight, nor the level of moping, of either of the countries, so I concede nothing.

 

but I guarantee they moped for a longer amount of time!

 

Wow, you guarantee that people that have been displaced and are war refugees for a significantly longer period of time than the small scale time frame suffered my hurricane victims.

 

Which is all moot, because astr0creep was not talking about disaster situations:

 

Do people in 3rd world countries walk around moping at their bad luck?

 

And you said yes. Based on what?

 

All you have stated is that people that suffer tragedy for an extended period of time will mope about their bad luck more than people that suffer tragedy less. Which is still a bull**** statement to make because you're doing nothing but making an assumption based on commonsense, which is a very bad thing to do.

[Fenghuang]

Bad luck today.  My car drifted off the dirt road I live on and hit the embankment.  The embankment along this section of the road consists of granite boulders.  Front left corner is all bent in and the driver's side door now pops and screeches when you open and close it. 

 

On the bright side I looked over it after checking to make sure it's still driving okay, and the engine compartment is untouched as well as the suspension and wheel well.  The bumper and the fender absorbed all the damage while leaving the rest of the car untouched and it was a piece of junk in the first place. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Sounds like you could conclude good luck from your experience.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

No, the bad luck is more long term. Now there's no way I'll ever be able to sell it so it's gonna be that much harder to buy a new more fuel efficient car.

[kumquatq3]

All you have stated is that people that suffer tragedy for an extended period of time will mope about their bad luck more than people that suffer tragedy less.  Which is still a bull**** statement to make because you're doing nothing but making an assumption based on commonsense, which is a very bad thing to do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ok, kinda funny

 

He was talking about third world countries, I just tossed some out there where I BELIEVE people would feel less lucky than people in say Canada or something. No, I'm not saying they just sit on a log like Eeyore all day

 

I'm not really being all that serious either, as you seem to be, just kinda chatting on this one.

[alanschu]

Bad luck today.  My car drifted off the dirt road I live on and hit the embankment.  The embankment along this section of the road consists of granite boulders.  Front left corner is all bent in and the driver's side door now pops and screeches when you open and close it. 

 

On the bright side I looked over it after checking to make sure it's still driving okay, and the engine compartment is untouched as well as the suspension and wheel well.  The bumper and the fender absorbed all the damage while leaving the rest of the car untouched and it was a piece of junk in the first place. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Sounds like you could conclude good luck from your experience.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

No, the bad luck is more long term. Now there's no way I'll ever be able to sell it so it's gonna be that much harder to buy a new more fuel efficient car.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Or....

 

The fact that you came away from incident unscathed, with no permanent (and perhaps crippling) injuries. Furthermore, your mode of transportation suffered no intrinisc capability to perform the function you require of it.

 

It seems perspective plays an important part in determining good and bad luck. Which actually makes a bit of sense.

 

Not entirely related, but research has shown that people tend to view their personal success as coming from within (Having strong motivation, good work habits, etc), while their personal failures has being external (lost job because of failing economy, or....just "bad luck"). However, people tend to view someone else's personal success as being external (good luck, right place at right time, look at many of the Bioware bashers and why they feel Bioware is successful), while their failures are internal (A perfect example is the common capitalist perspective that someone is poor and unemployed because they are not committing themselves enough to bettering themselves). I also think that people tend to be more pessimistic when dealing with personal setbacks rather than someone else's misfortune. My supporting evidence naturally being our discussion here "

[alanschu]

Ok, kinda funny

 

He was talking about third world countries, I just tossed some out there where I BELIEVE people would feel less lucky than people in say Canada or something. No, I'm not saying they just sit on a log like Eeyore all day

 

I'm not really being all that serious either, as you seem to be, just kinda chatting on this one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Fair enough, but even then it's difficult to say because we aren't in their shoes. I agree with astr0creep that it is relative.

 

Of course, it's probably a fair conclusion that places that are war torn or suffer from some other sort of disaster would feel less lucky than someone that doesn't. Though I don't think this has any place in a discussion with respect to a third world country either. I doubt France was a happy place when it was under German occupation. Same goes for the Japanese living in Hiroshima. Both countries certainly would not be considered 3rd world (though to be honest I'm not sure what classification Japan would have, as they don't conform to the often misunderstood definitions of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd world nations....I guess technically it would be 3rd world....though Germany probably would be as well).

 

Studies published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Happiness Studies have found that failure to meet basic needs does cause unhappiness, but excess material wealth beyond that does not result in an increase in happiness. Which does make sense.

 

I would suspect that there may be an increased feeling of being "unlucky" in a place like Afghanistan because it is war torn. But at the same time it might not be that unreasonable that many people, such as the men that were now allowed to shave, or the athletes that competed in the summer Olympics, it was a bit more "lucky" than previously. But this would not have anything to do with the "3rd world" status of the country.

[Fenghuang]

You wouldn't be so optimistic if your car got thirteen miles to the gallon and you lived in a rural area.

 

Anyhow, I already went through the 'Wow the car still works and I'm not hurt' stage and now I'm trying to figure out where I can get an extra grand from (what the car would've sold for). Ugh.

[alanschu]

Exactly.

 

Given the fact that you weren't hurt or anything, the focus goes to the car.

 

Had your neck been broken, I doubt you'd be too concerned about the shape your car is in.

 

 

Ironically, this even relates a bit to happiness as measured by wealth

[kumquatq3]

You wouldn't be so optimistic if your car got thirteen miles to the gallon and you lived in a rural area. 

 

:D

 

I feel your pain, kinda.

 

Last month, in a ONE WEEK SPAN, my car got hit while I was in a bar (not to bad), somehow the gas cap got knocked off (I still can't figure that one out), my hood release inside the car stopped working and a hub cap fell off.

[alanschu]

When it rains it pours.

 

But you don't believe in luck

[kumquatq3]

nope

[astr0creep]

I was saying luck or bad luck are relative things, an emotional response/state dependant on one's lifestyle.

 

Of course I would assume that a person in a 3rd world country, who has an opportunity to come live here in North America(or Europe), would feel very lucky.

But I'm not so sure, having seen and experienced their happyness.

 

Perhaps luck is closely related to successes and failures and therefore dependant on one's definition of success and failure?

 

All I know is when the Ice storm hit the Montreal region a few years ago, there were some days I felt very unlucky to be living here, mostly because it was impossible to sustain my lifestyle(no TV, no work, etc). And yet, some part of me felt lucky that, having lived in worse conditions before, there really was nothing to it.

[alanschu]

nope

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

What are incidents of good fortune then?

 

And why did you say you were really lucky at little things?

 

 

Why do you not believe in luck?

[kumquatq3]

nope

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What are incidents of good fortune then?

 

And why did you say you were really lucky at little things?

 

 

Why do you not believe in luck?

 

Lucky = statistically I come out ahead, just flukes.

 

I'm the guy in my group that people call "lucky". Not in the "you're lucky your family is filthy rich" sense, but in the "I don't want to play "pick a number between 1-10" with this guy" sense.

 

As for believing in a mystical sort of luck, if you put a gun to my head I would tell you there is no such thing. But I do have an item or two I keep because they are "lucky". So, take that as you will.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

you cannot rely on luck. that makes for a very sad and disapointing life. learn to be 100% sure about things.

 

does a rocket reach the moon with luck?

does a open heart surgery work with luck?

 

luck can be your best friend or can simply stab ou in the back.

[alanschu]

Lucky = statistically I come out ahead, just flukes.

 

Err, isn't that exactly what luck is?

 

If I win 40 consecutive rounds of blackjack, I'd say I was pretty lucky.

[kumquatq3]

Lucky = statistically I come out ahead, just flukes.

 

Err, isn't that exactly what luck is?

 

If I win 40 consecutive rounds of blackjack, I'd say I was pretty lucky.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The difference between dumb luck and mystical is believing something other than "dumb luck" was behind it

[alanschu]

I never had the idea that that's what this thread was about.

 

I do think that some people are "luckier" than others. But that's only with just dumb luck (and often hard work).

[metadigital]

Yeah, I know someone whom I would call lucky. That is beside who they are as a person: talented, intelligent, etc, all beside the point.

 

I know another person who was born under a sign. I mean, nothing small ever happens to them: it's all good or all bad.

 

What we call luck is more to do with our way of contextualizing incidents in the normal forward motion of time, which have no obvious causal link. in other words, it's about how we represent the happenings, not intrinsic to the person or events.

 

As for believing in a mystical sort of luck, if you put a gun to my head I would tell you there is no such thing. But I do have an item or two I keep because they are "lucky". So, take that as you will.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that just means you are living in denial.

[alanschu]

I agree. It seems somewhat paradoxical for someone to say they do not believe in luck (to the point where they claim they'd still say it even with a gun pointed at their head), yet still holds on to things because they are "lucky."

[metadigital]

Sort of a force of will ("I do NOT believe in luck!") over instinct ("I believe in luck") ... "

[kumquatq3]

or I'm human and I can be "paradoxical" without there being anything wrong