The science of luck: Are some people just born lucky?
Is it fate, science… or just… luck? As 120 hopefuls chase a million rand in the Fortune Frenzy finale, we dive into what really makes someone lucky.
If you’ve ever watched someone win a competition and thought, “Why does this stuff never happen to me?” - you’re not alone.
Luck is one of those slippery little things that science, psychology, and your grandmother’s Sunday prayers have all tried to explain.
Now, with East Coast Radio and Lottostar’s Fortune Frenzy Grand Finale giving away ONE MILLION RAND, the question is louder than ever:
Is it pure chance? Or are some people just born lucky?
Well, let’s study luck real quick, shall we?
Psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman conducted a fascinating study where he found that people who consider themselves lucky often experience more positive outcomes.
Why? Well… they’re more open to opportunities, better at spotting chance events, and tend to expect good things.
This makes them more relaxed and observant.
Wiseman found that unlucky people tend to be more anxious and focused on routine.
Wiseman’s 1993 Luck Factor
In the late 20th century, Wiseman recruited around 400 volunteers who self-identified as either “extremely lucky” or “extremely unlucky.”
He subjected them to personality assessments, interviews, and clever experiments to reveal behavioral differences.
One standout experiment involved counting photographs in a newspaper.
On page two, a large headline screamed:
“Stop counting - There are 43 photographs in this newspaper.”
Lucky people saw it immediately, while unlucky people missed it entirely, plowing on to finish the count.
They wasted about two minutes of their lives.
Ouch! All that just for the answer to be right in front of you? Embarrassing…
So how can you become lucky?
Well, we doubt you can instantly become lucky.
It’s all in the mind and the way you interact with the world around you.
Wiseman identified four recurring traits that lucky individuals exhibit, which can be cultivated by “unlucky” people with effort:
1. Maximise Chance Opportunities: Lucky people network, try new experiences, stay curious, and thus generate more serendipitous events. Break out of your routine and invite new unexpected events to happen.
2. Listen to Lucky Hunches: Lucky people trust gut instincts and act on them. Almost 90 % of lucky people reported trusting their intuition in relationships and almost 80 % in career choices. That gut feeling is essentially the universe speaking to you! Take a chance and listen!
3. Expect Good Fortune: Optimism is a proven self‑fulfilling prophecy. Lucky people estimate 84 to 90 % chances of success and persevere even through setbacks. Basically…? Always expect the best, even when it seems highly unlikely!
4. Turn Bad Luck into Good: Lucky people use counter‑factual thinking. Instead of “Why do things always end badly for me?”; try “Things could have been worse.” That positivity fuels resilience and future success.
Anyways. Today is probably the best test of one person’s luck!
With only one winner out of 120 contestants, Fortune Frenzy is the ultimate test of fate.
At the end of the day, someone has to win that million.
They won’t win that million by answering 5 questions in 30 seconds or figuring out some weird pattern.
It’s literally all up to luck!
Can they pick the lucky envelope? The lucky colour?
Will they choose the lucky gold bar, and can their luck put them directly in front of the briefcase with the million?
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