February 8, 2009

Was I really lucky?

I like the theory that all people have the same amount of luck. It is the distribution over time that makes the difference. Some people are lucky early in their lives and run out of luck fast (Jimmy Hendrix). While some have luck sporadically distributed over their lifetime (most of the people) and then there is the third kind, they are not at all lucky early in their life. Eventually they do get lucky, but by that time they go through so much shit that they just feel they are lucky to be just alive (lead character in any Jeffrey Archer bestseller). It is the third kind that brings out the beauty about our perception of luck.

On what basis can we call a situation lucky? Like for instance, I was walking by the road a few months back, deep in thought, not really paying attention to the surroundings and suddenly a huge dry branch of a palm tree crashed missing me by less than a couple of feet! I just stayed there, kind of shocked. If that didn’t miss me, it would’ve definitely been a serious injury.

I didn’t move for half a minute (from the shock), people from the other side of the road rushed to make sure I was alright. And more than one person said that I was really lucky. The first thing that came to my mind was, Am I? I mean, I almost died but did not, and hence I am very lucky”. That is hardly the definition of luck. If it is, then everyone alive is lucky because they did not die an unfortunate death yet. I should also probably be worried every time I go to the road and come back home safely because I might be running out of my quota of luck, soon.
Do you think I was lucky to have missed the branch that day? How do you define luck? Please comment. With some “luck” I might find some real answers ;).

silhouette, water color in painter. Thanks to Sashi :)

6 comments:

  1. I totally agree with you. Missing by 2 feet is only as lucky as missing by 2 miles, isn't it? One would call someone lucky if the possible tragedy seemed highly probable at some point of time. One may say, "he's damn lucky, he had an extra key" while someone else might think "what's so lucky about losing one of the key in the first place".

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  2. well, I think we call someone's lucky depending on the context. Like u missed a serious injury by just 2 feet u r lucky.and even I have missed it by some 'very large' distance.when u almost get 'near' a dangerous situation people call ya as lucky. And in case of winning something for eg a lottery or a seat or job,u will be lucky if you are nowhere 'near' to it and somehow you got it.A person wid exceptional skills won't be called lucky even if he/she get's a BIG job. So, according to me, there are two sides to it.One, when you are very near to a danger and somehow u come out of it, and the other when u are far away from a fortunate thing(like a job for eg.)and you get it.

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  3. Hey!

    I am glad, you are alright.. and I really think you are lucky...

    According to me.. As long as things don't go wrong in an untimely manner... [Untimely death any other kind than real old age, untimely ill health like diabetes at 21] or string of unfortunate incidents [loses job, finds out that he has cancer, sister comes back home because of dowry, wife leaves home because of financial problems] don't take charge of one's life, I consider them lucky. So I guess every body has a "Quota" of luck enough for their life time .. I am lucky and in my opinion So are you!!

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  4. Its more like, If something (that we arent responsible for) bad happens to us, we are unlucky.
    Life is supposed to be good, not bad. So, instead of thinking that we need luck to live, its actually that we need bad luck to die :D

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  5. As flawed as the whole bloody system already is, I strongly believe luck (or more meaningfully the lack of luck) is a purely make-believe concept. The theory is that we are being played with and are cajoled into believing that whatever we feel is really what we feel.

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  6. Agree with that... I don't mind people classifying things as lucky/unlucky, but it is when they pray (or do even more stupid things) for luck when it pisses me off.

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don't be lazy