Winning a lottery, unexpected opportunities and magically escaping tragedies are all events that are based on luck because typically, they will likely never happen to most people. There are so many experiences on a daily basis with common luck that make believers out of anyone.  

It turns out luck is used by everyone, even scientists. According to Dr. Martin Sand, Lecturer in Ethics and Philosophy of Technology at TU Delft, there is moral luck which has to do with the “right place, right time” concept, found to be the main source of discoveries made by scientists.

Pure chance, or fortuitous accident , depending on your point of view, has led to some significant unforeseen scientific discoveries that haven’t played a part.  X-Rays, microwaves, insulin, penicillin,  velcro, teflon and even Coca-Cola. Were complete accidents, but now are a big part of our day-to-day lives.

Believers in “good” luck also acknowledge there is “bad” luck. This typically comes in the form of superstitions, but these can differ from one culture to another such as in the number 13.  Western cultures believe so strongly that the number brings bad luck that often businesses do not have a 13th floor and airports do not have a 13th gate. In China, however, the number 4 is considered unlucky. 

Lucky people create, notice and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives in order to make successful decisions by using their intuition and gut feelings. Their expectations about the future help them fulfill their dreams and ambitions. 

Doctors even suppose that it is possible to create your own luck. Psychologist, Dr. Richard Wiseman has spent decades studying the phenomenon and concludes that there are three characteristics that people who consider themselves lucky have in common. 

“[They] listen to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophecies via positive attitudes and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good,” Wiseman said.

People create their own good fortune by believing their actions and behavior attract luck. It can also help people feel more optimistic when circumstances are beyond their control. So, ultimately, if you don’t consider yourself lucky, you’re in luck because you have it in your power to change.