Why do we feel lucky?
We tend to consider ourselves lucky when something desirable happens that feels out of our control, as if fate gave us a wink. Luck is often the name we give to the gap between effort and outcome, especially when the outcome exceeds expectations.
When do we feel lucky? When Chance Favors Us
Winning something:
Avoiding misfortune:
Missing a car accident by seconds because you stepped back to check the stove or coffee maker, or finding out you dodged a bad investment.
Arriving just as the last seat is available, or meeting someone special by pure coincidence.
When Effort Meets Unexpected Reward:
Getting a job offer after a casual conversation.
Receiving help when you didn’t ask:
A friend you didn't see for months shows up just when you need them.
Finding something valuable without searching:
Like stumbling on a rare book or painting at a yard sale, or stumbling upon a dream job advertisement.
When Perspective Shifts
You realize how good you have it compared to what could’ve been. Living in a peaceful country, when watch videos of dying people and starving children in warzones.
Surviving hardship:
Looking back, you feel lucky to have made it through a long surgery after an accident and you feel lucky that the surgeon was able to save your leg.
Being born into certain circumstances:
Health, safety, education, things we didn’t choose but benefit from.
Luck is often a story we tell ourselves to make sense of randomness. But it’s also a feeling, a mix of surprise, relief, and joy. Sometimes we say “I’m lucky” not because the odds were in our favor, but because we feel deeply grateful.
Do you feel lucky?
