General life questions / observations / random whatever thread

[React1oN]

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hmm I'm just musing at work right now, and I couldn't think of a better place to write my thoughts.

I had a conversation with my friend this weekend...we were talking about life, and the possibility of me not going back to school. I had said that even if I didn't go to school, I felt strangely confident that I would find a way to be alright. I don't know how...just a belief in my core.

I don't know where I'm going with this. There is an NVG thread which spurred me to recontemplate this issue...

I expressed that I thought some people are just "good at life". To some they may seem lucky or fortunate, but somehow they seem to end up being successful, no matter what path they take.

Think back to high school...weren't there a few people who you just KNEW would be successful? Something about them?

I think there are people in this world who make the most out of their luck...they get chance opportunities, but then they take advantage of them in ways most people would not or could not.

Everyone gets lucky, but certain people always seem to come out further ahead.

I think I'm one of those people...but I guess there's a strong possibility I'm deluding myself.

What it do?

[/ QUOTE ]I'm reading Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary and if he's right, that feeling wears off, and can come back, as keik said.

[Sciolist]

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I agree there was a luck aspect in that I got hot then rather than after I had already accepted a job but it wasn't 100% luck.

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Not many things are 100% luck, mostly it's a mixture of luck and planning. The luck is important though, and isn't something you can be sure will recur. Your example is a good one of something going your way once that you cannot be sure will happen again.

On a related note, I thought of something similiar: I consider myself a lucky guy because I notice all the little things that go my way and ignore the ones that don't. I've posted about confirmation bias before, but I really try to work it in my favour. For example, when you're driving up to the lights and they change to green just as you get there: I always notice it. When they turn red, I don't pay it any attention. All you gotta do is remember to notice when it goes your way, and you suddenly feel a lot luckier, an attitude I enjoy.

[Henry17]

What is the motivation for feeling luckier?

I agree it is a much better attitude than those people who use confirmation bias to argue how unlucky they are and thus why the reason their life sucks is not their fault.

I also find that I have a 3:2 lucky to unlucky memorable event ratio so either I'm lucky or I also use confirmation bias to make myself feel luckier. But being lucky, if I think about it, erodes my desert claim to some of the good aspects of my life so I rather not be lucky.

[keikiwai]

for some people luck is made by being flexible and adapting quickly to changing circumstances

the unlucky people try to keep bulldozing through life always using the same strategy whether it works or not (and eventually it stops working), while the "lucky" people pay attention and respond to their environment, this is often very subtle and done on an almost subconscious level, especially when it happens during emergencies or when [censored]'s hitting the fan, so it makes the "lucky" people seem almost cat like in their ability to wriggle out of tight spots, but really they're only in tune with the world around them

[Henry17]

Is that still luck? It seems like the positive outcome is based on choices.

[JaBlue]

Plato equated luck and wisdom a long time ago. Of course the more wise are more lucky. A doctor will have the best luck with health.

[kutuz_off]

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What is the motivation for feeling luckier?

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I think it's pretty obvious. People who feel lucky take more risks, which allows them to accomplish more in life.

[keikiwai]

ahhhhhhhh

some of my friends have facebook, but i don't want to sign up using my real name cause i'm paranoid

i signed up with my real first name and a last name w/ the same first initial my real name, but the rest is made up

obv this is dumb, since all my friends have their real names on there

i guess i have a website and it has my real name

maybe i'll go change it if i can or sign up again (ok i have my real name there, but i'm not putting any of that bs "relationship status, mood, wtf [censored] business is it of yours cause if you don't know it i don't want you to know it" crap on there

i hate all this [censored], i've got a cell phone, aim, and now facebook.... hate this crap

[WTF IS POKING]

[Henry17]

It took me a while to join Facebook but I did.

Is your concern that Facebook will have your information or that other people will be able to look it up?

You can set up the privacy settings in such a way that no one can find out anything about you. I've had stalkers in the past plus I just like privacy so I've got mine set in such a way that all anyone can find out is that I have an account. Everything else is private.

I think poking is a way to break the ice but don't quote me. I have no idea. I've never poked anyone and when people poke me I either add them as friends or ignore the poke.

[qdmcg]

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I think poking is a way to break the ice but don't quote me. I have no idea. I've never poked anyone and when people poke me I either add them as friends or ignore the poke.

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this is accurate. also done by people you know (mostly girls) for whatever reason: im thinking about you, im flirting, im just a dumb bitch, etc.