Comment by keithj on What it means to be lucky · 2021-02-06T20:39:31.614Z · LW · GW

My definition is - Luck is the result of a random event that is NOT in your control.

The way to have Good Luck is to reduce the likelihood of as many of those random events that result in poor outcomes as possible. That you CAN control.

Publicising a physics blog has reduced the possibility of not being noticed.

Practicing coding has reduced the likelihood of an unknown task occuring in the test.

Practicing soccer has increased the amount of 'good' muscle memory, timing, accuracy from the range of all possible ones.

You can't reliably generate Good Luck, but you can reduce the likelihood of 'Bad Luck'.

 

Anecdotes 1 & 4 are events that are out of the recipients control.

Anecdotes 2 & 3 are the result of reducing the possibility of Bad Luck.