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''This article is about good and bad fortune. There is also: Luck, Volhynia , a town in Ukraine , and Luck, Wisconsin , a village in the USA .'' Luck is the chance happening of fortunate or adverse events. Different religions and worldviews explain chance happenings in different ways as part of their attempts to explain the world around them. RATIONALIST VIEWPOINT A Rationalist approach to luck is normally that it is related to the occurrences of actual events considered to be of low Probability in a Mathematical or Statistical sense. In this worldview, an external action will have no bearing on the outcome of a question random Probability . A brick falling on a person walking below, therefore, is not a function of that person's luck, but is instead the result of an action happening at a random time that coincides with the passing of that person. Statistically , ever person walking under the building was just as likely to have the brick fall on them. An alternative Rationalist approach to luck is to contrast it with control. Luck is what happens that is beyond a persons control. This view incorporates phenomena that are chance happenings, a person's place of birth for example, but where there is no uncertainty involved, or where the uncertainty is irrelevant. Within this framework one can differentiate between three different types of luck: 1) Constitutional luck, that is, luck with factors beyond a person's control because they cannot be changed. Place of birth and genetic constitution are typical examples. 2) Circumstantial luck, that is, luck with factors that cannot control because they are randomly brought on. Accidents and epidemics are typical examples. 3) Consequential luck, that is, luck with factors you cannot control because they are a capricious result of your actions. A typical example would be throwing a rock off of a cliff. Hitting someone walking below is a consequence of numerous factors beyond your control, it is a matter of luck. SPIRITUAL VIEWPOINT There is also sometimes considered to be a spiritual, metaphysical, or supernatural bias towards experiencing events of good or ill fortune. In this sense some believe that one's own or another's good or bad luck can be influenced through spiritual means or by performing certain rituals or by avoiding certain (from a rational viewpoint non-relevant) situations. Prayer is a religious practice in which this belief is particularly strong, although many cultures worldwide place a strong emphasis on a person's ability to influence their luckiness by ritualistic means. Prayer and rituals that pre-date or are independent of Judeo-Christian religions are considered traditional or folk relgions, and are associated with luck in the sense of superstition. Modern religions believe in the will of a supreme being rather than luck as influencing events. However, most modern religions in their early development accommodated traditional folk practices. Many of these practices and icons are now thought of as fully Judeo-Christian, and Judeo-Christians wish each other good luck as often as they say "God bless you". In their original forms, the folk religions view mind, spirit and body as one. They often involve proper respect for spirits, believed to inhabit a location prior to human occupation. In some cultures, if one builds a house on a property it is respectful to provide a small spirit house for their habitation. In other cultures, a building may be interrupted by a passageway to allow the flow of spiritual energy - the location being determined by an expert in such matters. In such cultures, ignoring such matters is believed to lead to misfortune - ''bad luck''. In this context, there is also the concept of "purpose" to events ascribed to luck, good or bad. The spiritual-physical healing practices of Native American, African, Celtic and European folklore also include ways to influence luck or good fortune. EFFECTS OF VIEWPOINT AND BELIEFS The belief in luck as a supernatural phenomenon is generally regarded by rationalists as a form of Magical Thinking . However, there is evidence that people who believe themselves to have good luck are more able to take advantage of fortunate chance events in their lives, and to compensate for unfortunate chance events in their lives, than people who believe that they have '''bad luck'''. This appears to be the result of Positive Thinking altering their responses to these events. A belief in luck can also indicate a belief in an external Locus Of Control for events in their life, and so escape from personal responsibility. Some philosophers argue that we each "create our own reality", literally and not metaphorically, and in that context what appears to be good luck can be interpreted as having beliefs that encourage or create what are putatively good outcomes. Risky lifestyles Often those who ascribe their travails to "bad luck" will be found upon close examination to be living Risky Lifestyle s. For example: a drunk driver may ascribe their arrest to the bad luck of being observed by a patrolman, or the bad luck of being involved in a traffic accident (perhaps not even the victim's fault), as a way of avoiding personal responsibility for their actions. Positive outlook On the other hand, people who consider themselves "lucky" in having good health may be actually reaping the benefits of a cheerful outlook and satisfying social relationships, both of which are well known Statistically to be protective against many stress-related diseases. Effects If "good" and "bad" events occur at random to everyone, believers in good luck will experience a net gain in their fortunes, and vice versa for believers in bad luck. This is clearly likely to be self-reinforcing. Thus, although untrue, a belief in good luck may actually be an adaptive Meme . The Gambler's Fallacy and Inverse Gambler's Fallacy are both related to belief in luck. NUMEROLOGY Most cultures consider some Numbers to be lucky or unlucky. This is found to be particularly strong in Asian cultures, where the obtaining of "lucky" Telephone Number s, automobile License Plate numbers, and Household Addresses are actively sought, sometimes at great Monetary expense. SAYINGS Popular sayings and quotations related to luck:
LUCK IN SCRIPTURE
ITEMS OR EVENTS Several items or happenings are considered lucky or unlucky. Lucky
Unlucky
LUCK IN FICTION
SONGS ABOUT LUCK
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