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The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

nautil.us

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Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#11

Post by mathgladiator »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #9

I'm skeptical of a definition of luck where you can be trained to be lucky. That's not luck, that's skill. There is no skill to luck by definition. But let's take what we've got here and engage with it: >She came up with a few basic strategies for parents to teach their kids, including being open to new experiences, learning to relax, maintaining social connections, and (yes) talking to strangers. All of these techni…

I look as environment (and privilege) as an equivalency group. If all other factors are the same, then evaluate this as advice with that cohort.

You can be trained to be lucky, and it is a simple problem of exposing yourself to more and more. Try more things, spend more time, be open to new ideas.

Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#12

Post by brwsr »

In order to get lucky with something you have to give luck a chance. There is no way to win a lottery when you don't buy a ticket in the first place. The more tickets you buy (the more involved you are), the greater the chance you'll win (luck). What's more to it?

Btw, what is luck? Some things that make you happy in the short term can easily destroy everything that's dear to you in the long term.

Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#14

Post by neolefty »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #9

I'm skeptical of a definition of luck where you can be trained to be lucky. That's not luck, that's skill. There is no skill to luck by definition. But let's take what we've got here and engage with it: >She came up with a few basic strategies for parents to teach their kids, including being open to new experiences, learning to relax, maintaining social connections, and (yes) talking to strangers. All of these techni…

It's a rhetorical shortcut.

A more complete description might be:

> The Key to this thing that is commonly assumed to be Good Luck Is actually a skill, an Open Mind which is something that can be learned.

Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#15

Post by prophesi »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #9

I'm skeptical of a definition of luck where you can be trained to be lucky. That's not luck, that's skill. There is no skill to luck by definition. But let's take what we've got here and engage with it: >She came up with a few basic strategies for parents to teach their kids, including being open to new experiences, learning to relax, maintaining social connections, and (yes) talking to strangers. All of these techni…

I think the most important part of the article: "You lose your peripheral vision the more anxious you are because your flight-or-fight mechanism creates binocular vision."

Kids growing up in chaotic situations are likely to be very anxious, and will have so much more to worry about. So I think you are right to an extent, that the real luck is growing up in a more stable situation.

What makes it worse, is that being taught how to relax in chaotic situations is so dang helpful in all areas of life, but only those given the opportunity to relax in the first place will discover that. You're otherwise stuck in a downward spiral.

Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#16

Post by pm90 »

This is actually a very interesting article. And with the risk of attracting the wrath on internet haters, let me propose something that personally helped me a lot and which seems like a very narrow application of the principles described in the article: meeting romantic partners.

I tend to be more open in talking to strangers and that has opened up worlds of opportunities to me. But the biggest benefit has certainly been in meeting people that I would liked to date. And what I realized (or read somewhere) is that if you live in a large city, you literally run into a lot of people just in the course of your day. e.g. waiting in line at starbucks, taking the train, at concerts/shows etc. And all that is really required is for one party to initiate conversation.

Let me qualify this by saying that I do not condone pestering strangers; that is borderline harassment (especially for women). But when both parties are interested/responsive, it can lead to adventures that you wouldn't have ever expected ....

Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#17

Post by saiya-jin »

gaurav_v wrote: post #8
andriesm wrote: post #6

I've always wondered about the role that the reticular activating system plays in being lucky. If you are expecting to find good opportunities you may spot them more. I have seen many typical people blunder blindly past once-in-a-lifetime-opportunities. Many people just don't pay attention to massive opportunities. They just don't notice them or seem to not care when these things are right in front of their noses.

Could you give some examples?

I can imagine cryptocurrencies for myself. I was never highly involved, but can imagine investing say 100$ when prices were super low, or just mining on desktop for the fun of it. When thinking back about it, there were some potential signs, and losing 100$ even back then would be without issues.

Life now wouldn't be significantly different, but I would have much less financial pressure on myself. And that can be translated to a slight amount of happiness, compounded by years and years of not having to pay the mortgage.

Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#19

Post by da02 »

pm90 wrote: post #16

This is actually a very interesting article. And with the risk of attracting the wrath on internet haters, let me propose something that personally helped me a lot and which seems like a very narrow application of the principles described in the article: meeting romantic partners. I tend to be more open in talking to strangers and that has opened up worlds of opportunities to me. But the biggest benefit has certainly…

What do you mean by adventures?

Re: The Key to Good Luck Is an Open Mind

#20

Post by Robotbeat »

ebbv wrote: post #18

Yeah all those dumb kids who are dying of diseases in poverty should be more open minded.

It's almost like you read the article: “On the academic side of things, I’ve always been sort of skeptical of any concept related to luck,” says Carter. “Because as a sociologist, it’s like, Oh, so all those children in Darfur are just not lucky? We know that there are other things there.”
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