Are Some People Luckier Than Others?

Arun Lakra’s Sequence: Are Some People Luckier Than Others?

By Nya Lazarus-Munnick

Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald 02.23.2013 (http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/theatre)

In Arun Lakras award winning play Sequence, he does a wonderful job at intertwining science with the arts. He plays cleverly with big questions about ideas surrounding luck that left readers like myself, very curious. The scenes that take place in the auditorium involving characters, Theo and Cynthia, particularly stood out because they discussed a rather interesting subject: are some people luckier than others?

When examining a psychological approach to what luck is, Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, says that people who consider themselves “lucky” think and behave in certain ways that creates good fortune for themselves. Dr. Wiseman has done various studies to figure out what sets apart a lucky person from an unlucky one. He found that lucky people are particularly open to possibilities, always want something new, are prepared to take risks, and are relaxed enough to see opportunities when they arise. For example, in an experiment Dr. Wiseman conducted, he asked people who identified as lucky and as unlucky to read a newspaper. On one of the pages of the newspaper, he wrote in large letters: “Tell the experimenter you have seen this and win £250.” The people who said they were lucky were more likely to see the ad, Wiseman wrote, and the “unlucky” people seemed to demonstrate more anxiety, which minimized their powers of observation (https://www.fastcompany.com/46732/how-make-your-own-luck). The major difference is in the way that people think, suggesting there is a power in positive thinking.

In Sequence, there is a clear distinction between the personalities of Theo and Cynthia. Theo seems to have a positive attitude, whereas Cynthia appears almost cynical in her logic-focused outlooks on life. Even though Theo lost his wife and unborn child in a car accident he too was in, he doesn’t seem to let that have a strong hold on his life. Cynthia is pregnant and expresses much concern over the mere possibility of her unborn daughter being genetically predisposed to Retinitis Pigmentosa, and she also agrees to being called “unlucky”. Furthermore, it can be said that although such chance encounters can’t be controlled, people can put themselves in a place and time that has the potential to be the right one. An open and positive attitude also makes people more likely to appreciate an opportunity and to take advantage of it (https://www.popsci.com/luck-real).

Although very lightly touched upon, Sequence also makes a reference to the role God may or may not play in how much “luck” someone may or may not have. When looking at what luck is through a religious perspective, it’s important to define its meaning. Specifically, eastern religions believe luck can be somewhat controlled by superstitious actions such as rubbing the stomach of a Buddha statue. The more modern definition would describe luck as events that have perceived significant [endif]--outcomes on those involved, to which were not in their control (whether it be good or bad). In contrast, Christians believe that God cannot be manipulated to provide good fortune through any means of superstitious practices, and His omniscience impedes the existence of any event being truly random- rejecting the notion of luck. However, this idea of people claiming to be “lucky” brings about a difficult question: How much influence and control does God have over the events that take place in our life? The bible says that while there are many things that happen to us that are predetermined by God, we still experience the consequences of our own choices without His apparent interference. The reasons behind why, how, and when God acts are not known to anyone, but for His believers, it is important to understand that nothing is truly random (https://www.compellingtruth.org/luck.html).

Although this perspective seems to eliminate the notion of luck entirely, religions with a central controlling God are focused on the bigger

picture rather than the individual lives of others. For example, the psychological approach I previously discussed holds your own thoughts responsible for the way you perceive a situation -as good or bad- most likely by the way that event directly affects you or the people around you. In religion however, it’s not just about you, it’s about the bigger picture that God intended for us all. Whether you look at yourself as lucky or unlucky, the events that made you come to this conclusion were not exclusively for yourself, but instead a part of God’s plan for his entire people and their future. This may contribute to why the idea of luck is not completely accepted in a religious point of view. God may be responsible for some of the events that happen in your life, but it’s in your power to decide how you deal with the events.

Citations:

1. Wiseman, R. (2003). The Luck Factor. The Magazine For Science And Reason, 27 (3), 5.

2. [second picture] https://me.me/i/good-luck-with-that-buddy-dont-believe-in-luck-sir-10200232

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