St. Patrick’s Day and the science of luck

Students give their own tips and tricks to help you strike gold

ISABELLA SANCHEZ / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Luck isn’t just for the Irish. well known superstitions like opening an umbrella inside, walking under a ladder or good luck charms are often seen as myths or hoaxes. 

Yet, plenty of people still believe that some opportunities and accomplishments are solely due to good luck. 

But, is it possible to forge your own good fortune? The answer is you could, but it is not as simple as it seems.

It turns out luck isn’t just chance and magic–there is a science behind it. 

Professor of psychology, Richard Wiseman, has published several best-selling psychology books and studied the “science of luck.” 

According to Wiseman, luck is all about meeting opportunities. Lucky people create or act upon opportunities in their lives, and not only that, but lucky people listen to their intuition.  

In his article, “The Four Scientific Ways to Become Luckier,” Wiseman says that the unexpected “lucky” actions come from the subconscious mind. 

So, whether it’s following your intuition or making a decision  that just feels right,  listening to those signals might bring you good luck. 

Luck also depends on how one approaches life; it’s important to be optimistic. In order to follow through with new opportunities, the article explains that one needs to believe that they will be successful and that life will work out well.

As cliche as it sounds, if one believes they are lucky then they are more likely to actually be lucky.

USD students shared their thoughts on the idea of luck and if it is possible to manifest it for themselves. 

USD sophomore Kaylee Dundee looks at manifesting good fortune in a different way.

“I am a big believer in karma, so I believe that if I put good energy out into the world, it’ll come back to me,” Dundee said. “I do this by trying my best to be kind to everyone I interact with throughout my day and helping people if they need it!”

Like Dundee, USD senior Riley Weeden doesn’t subscribe to the typical idea that luck is just chance. Just like Wiseman says, Weeden believes optimistic behavior is the key to luck. 

“I think that if you have a positive attitude about something, it’s more likely to happen,” Weeden shared.

Besides karma and optimism, there are other ways to attract good fortune. 

From a penny face up on the sidewalk to a personal lucky charm, everyone has their own traditions and superstitions of getting lucky. USD senior Paige Burton follows many lucky superstitions.

“I never walk under a ladder and always cross my fingers when hoping for a good outcome,” Burton shared. “Also, whenever I see a penny on the ground, I make sure to pick it up.”

But if the penny is tails up, she makes sure to turn it over and leave it for the next person or else she believes she’ll have bad luck.

Similar to Burton, Weeden follows one of the commonly-held superstitions regarding luck. 

“If I say something that I want to happen and it hasn’t happened yet, I always knock on wood,” Weeden said. 

Superstitions aren’t the only trick for good fortune. 

People hold onto lucky charms—actual physical objects, sometimes daily or only on special occasions. While some of the common good luck charms are a horseshoe, a rabbit’s foot keychain, and the classic four-leafed clover, people have their own unique and personal ones, too. 

Dundee’s is neither of those three: her superstition is something that is popular in various cultures and is an ancient symbol of protection. 

“I wear an evil eye bracelet every single day,” Dundee shared. “I actually haven’t taken it off since I got it because it is meant to ward off bad energy that people sometimes carry.”

For Burton, her own lucky charm has been with her since she was little and it continues to hold the same significance as it did then.

“When I was a little girl, I would carry this ladybug crystal I got in Japan in my pocket as a form of good luck, but now whenever I travel by plane, I carry this charm for safe travel,” Burton said. 

St. Patrick’s Day marks plenty of traditions and good luck charms to bring good fortune. Though many believe that luck is out of their control, science says differently. Luck is not up to chance, but up to you. 

Bringing luck to yourself is different for everyone; it can mean having a positive outlook and putting positive energy out in the universe, or holding onto a good luck charm or a silly superstition. 

No matter how one chooses to do it, they have the power to make luck for themselves. Now that’s good fortune.