Is Luck Just a Mindset? How Science Explains the Role of Luck in Life

We’ve all heard the phrase “you make your own luck” or “they’re just a lucky person” or maybe even “beginner’s luck,” but have you ever stopped to think about what luck really is? Many of us think of luck like an invisible force of good fortune that some of us are lucky enough to be surrounded by and others not so much. But what if luck isn’t just about random chance? What if there is proven science that luck and having luck might not be completely out of our control? Luck might in fact be more about psychology than probability, and that’s exactly what we’re diving into today. Is luck just a mindset? Is it possible that some people are more lucky than others? And finally, is there a science to it? Let’s get into it.

Psychology of Luck

Is luck something that we can control? Or, are there lucky people and unlucky people? Research, in fact, suggests that our attitude and mindset impact “luck” significantly. People who tend to see the world on the more positive side experience more opportunities for chance luck. People who deem themselves “unlucky” have a tendency to focus more on the negatives and potentially miss any positives. Science suggests that luck isn’t just random but also about how we perceive and interact with the world. Therefore, one might argue that it is indeed possible to make your own luck.

Unlucky vs. Lucky

Psychologist Richard Wiseman spent many years studying luck and found that those who consider themselves lucky behave differently than those who deem themselves unlucky. His research identifies key psychological traits that make someone “luckier.” Lucky people have an open mind when it comes to possibilities and opportunities. They have a high level of resilience and optimism. Lucky people have positive expectations and believe that good things will happen, and finally, they have strong social connections. Combined, these key traits create what a lucky person is. If you consider what Richard Wiseman’s research shows, it’s easier to understand how a person may “make their own luck.”.

Probability and Chance

Luck is rooted deeply in probability and chance. Chance being randomness. You might be surprised to hear that randomness actually plays a huge part in our lives, but human brains are wired to find patterns and meaning. This makes us perceive things to be luck rather than randomness or probability. Understanding the relationship with probabilities in life can help you make informed decisions that increase the chance of success. But, in turn, this could look entirely random and therefore be deemed “luck” when really it’s an informed and educated decision that ended as you had hoped.

Cognitive Biases

Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts that shape how we interpret the world. These biases can make us believe that luck is a grand invisible force rather than the outcome of both probability and good choice.

Examples of Cognitive Biases:

• The Gambler’s Fallacy—the belief that past events can influence future ones. For example, if you’re playing heads and tails with a coin and flip tails two times in a row, you might believe that it’s going to be heads because it’s already been tails twice. When, in reality, it’s a 50/50 chance either way every time, with the previous time having zero impact on the current one.
• Confirmation Bias—people tend to notice the things that confirm our beliefs and ignore the ones that contradict them. Someone who believes they’re unlucky will solely focus and point out all the ways they’re unlucky and dismiss anything that contradicts it.
• The Illusion of Control—people often believe that they have control/influence over random events. For example, blowing on dice to make them “lucky.”

Chance and Preparedness

Often what looks like “luck” is someone who was readily prepared. Luck can look like smart decisions and being ready for the task at hand. So while randomness does exist in our lives, having a level of preparedness helps to increase the chance of opportunity. These things aren’t an invisible driving force that so often luck is perceived to be. There is a collection of decisions and an openness to be aware of possible opportunities. If you want to have more “luck,” then you might consider becoming more prepared and ready to welcome new opportunities when they arise.

Can You Make Yourself Luckier?

The million-dollar question, “Can we control luck?” Science indeed tells us we can, but that it requires a shift and understanding of what luck actually is. You need to understand how luck is intertwined with chance and probability, as well as have an open mind and positive mindset. This will help you to perceive things as opportunities and therefore good fortune rather than challenges and unluckiness. Meet new people, try new things, enjoy new experiences, and as your horizons grow, you’ll likely be met with more “luck.” Lucky people aren’t people with special powers or abilities. They’re just people with a hard work ethic and the ability to be consistent, open-minded and adaptable. They’re people who can take any situation and see the positive and how it can benefit them. It’s a skill, and once you begin practicing it, you’ll find more luck in your life than you thought possible.

Conclusion

So what exactly is luck? It’s part preparedness, part mindset and part chance. Together, it creates the force that we know as “luck.” While we most certainly can’t control everything in our lives, we can control a fair bit. We can control how we see things, our mindset, our level of optimism, our open-mindedness, our ability to work hard and more, and these things collectively spark luck. Luck is really just a state of mind. If you believe you’re lucky, you’re right. If you believe you’re unlucky, you’re right. You’ll be handed the same things, but it’s all about how you see them that determines whether or not you’re in for luck.