Do you believe in bad luck?

Poll - Total Votes: 8

Yes

You can only vote on one answer.

Today my boyfriends grandmother passed away. On the way home from the hospital we got into a car accident that was not his fault. We were rear ended by a large truck at a stop light. No one is hurt (most importantly) but the damage is pretty bad as we were sandwiched between the car in front of us and the truck. We are both feeling pretty sore in our necks and back.

I feel so bad for him. I can not help but think of the terrible timing. It feels like both of us have bad luck, but especially him.

I remember a few years ago he built his very first gaming computer from scratch. That night there was a terrible storm. A nearby lightning strike sent a power surge through the outlet into his new computer frying it and shocking him.

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SW-User

"If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all"

I think what we think of as luck is just a reaction to the things we see. People are pretty good at identifying patterns, which cause us to form pseudo-probabilistic outcomes based on our experiences. Some call it a Bayesian Trap. The thing about probability is that unless one outcome is 100% guaranteed, other outcomes can occur.

We tend to call the gaps in our expectations 'luck'. The unexpected events that happen which benefits us are good luck, the ones that hurt us are bad luck, and the ones that are neutral are just called 'random'.

Things happen to us all the time. Most of the time we just expect it and pay no mind to it. But when something happens we don't expect, it sticks out to us and causes us to call it luck since we can't immediately explain it

Tatsumi · 31-35, M

No. Murphy's law.

That's why you buy a surge protector to protect your multi-/thousand dollar investment. If you can't fork out 10 extra bucks for a surge protector, it's asking for "bad luck". It's not really bad luck, it's just a lack of preparation. An ounce of precaution is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes.

Likewise. He was distraught or distracted over the loss, and so might have missed any signs than the truck wouldnt stop. Even if not, shit just happens. There's no such thing as luck, even if it might feel like it.

BethKCZ · 56-60, F

I have it on authority that it's bad luck to be superstitious.

Sh*t happens. Coincidences happen. Confirmation bias happens.

Jj2k00 · F

Unlucky things happen but I don't believe a person can just have bad luck

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