The Speculist

The Secret of Luck

"Ah. Now we come to point. When I bet on red with friend, I win. When I bet on red without friend, I don't win. I win sometimes, maybe. Sometimes red, sometimes black, sometimes zero. Only one zero on French roulette wheel, but ball land on zero many times when friend is not there."

"Huh. That's not good. And you know, these Russian casinos use an American wheel."

"I know this. Two zeroes. So how to win without winning system?"

"So you're saying that the winning system in roulette is to be with your friend?"

"Nyet. No, Reuben. You must understand. There is only one winning system in roulette."

"And that is?"

"Must be lucky."

(Stillness, Chapter Two)

 

Get this. Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire in the UK has done some research and has figured out the formula for getting lucky! Wait. Pull your mind out of the gutter. I don’t mean getting lucky, I just mean you know— getting lucky. This is The Speculist, not Gweilo Diaries. I don’t write about sex, snowboarding, or any other activities that require special know-how and expensive equipment.

Hold it. Come back. This is still pretty cool.

Professor Wiseman claims to have studied the phenomenon of luck via the behavior of the lucky. What do they do that sets them apart? Through interviews and some clever experiments, the Professor has narrowed luck down to four basic behavioral principles. When the unlucky tried these behaviors out in their own lives, the results were remarkable:

One month later, the volunteers returned and described what had happened. The results were dramatic: 80% of people were now happier, more satisfied with their lives and, perhaps most important of all, luckier.

The lucky people had become even luckier and the unlucky had become lucky.

Okay, so what are the four principles? The keys to Sergei’s Winning Roulette System? They are as follows:

• Listen to your gut instincts - they are normally right

• Be open to new experiences and breaking your normal routine

• Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well

• Visualise yourself being lucky before an important meeting or telephone call. Luck is very often a self-fulfilling prophecy

That's all there is to it? Apparently.

But I must say, I think Wiseman is on to something. He has conveyed in four quick principles the bulk of what I've been trying to get across in an entire series of essays on Practical Time Travel. That's impressive.

As I look more closely, I think that these principles might go to something besides luck. If you meet someone who consistently does these things, you might conclude that he or she is a lucky person. Or you might simply conclude that you've met a happy person.

So what's the difference?

What, indeed.

via GeekPress

Posted by Phil at December 31, 2003 09:47 AM | TrackBack