Do you see yourself as lucky, or is luck something that happens to you?

Simon-Thomas describes a survey of 844 university students in Hong Kong that compared their beliefs about luck with their happiness and personality. Less happy participants tended to believe more strongly in luck as an outside force that decides what happens to us, while happier participants were more likely to see themselves as personally lucky. The researchers suggest that seeing yourself as lucky works like a form of optimism or gratitude, while blaming luck for what happens can weaken a sense of agency and the motivation to pursue goals. Much of the link between belief in outside luck and lower happiness went along with neuroticism, a tendency toward negative emotions.

Takeaways

Suggested applications, adapted from the article:

1. Count three good things. Each evening, write down three things that went well and why, to build the habit of noticing your good fortune.
2. Look for the silver lining. When something goes wrong, name one way it could still lead somewhere good.
3. Keep the next step yours. Instead of blaming bad luck for a setback, ask what one move is still in your hands.