4 traits lucky people have in common, according to the author of 'The Luck Factor'

2023-10-18 20:20:00, Lifestyle CNA

4 traits lucky people have in common, according to the author of 'The Luck

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It is often said that some people are just lucky. Luck by definition is based on chance.

But according to Richard Wiseman, a psychology professor and author of The Luck Factor, your actions and mindset can increase your chances of being lucky.

In his 10-year study published in 2003, Wiseman spoke to 400 people who either self-identified as "lucky" or "unlucky" and found that those who were consistently lucky, professionally and personally, responded to situations in similar ways.

Here are four common traits he found in common with lucky people:

1. They have flexibility in the options available to you

Lucky people are not set in a fixed way to achieve their goals. This kind of flexibility puts them in situations where they are more likely to meet and connect with new people, according to Wiseman's research.

2. They listen to their intuition

Personality tests found that unhappy people are generally more tense and anxious, Wiseman found. This anxiety can lead to indecision.

Lucky people, on the other hand, often make quick decisions by listening to their intuition. By trusting their "gut", they are more likely to take action and expose themselves to new opportunities.

3. They are optimistic.

In Wiseman's research, lucky people often found something positive about an "unlucky" situation. In one experiment, he asked people to imagine a scenario where they are waiting in a bank when "an armed robber walks into the bank, shoots and the bullet hits them in the arm."

Is this event lucky or unlucky?

"Unlucky people tended to say that it would be extremely unlucky and just their bad luck to be in the bank during the robbery," Wiseman writes.

"In contrast, lucky people saw the scenario as much luckier and often spontaneously commented on how the situation could have been much worse. As one lucky participant commented, 'It's lucky because you can get shot in the head. Also, you can sell your story to newspapers and make some money.”

4. They are elastic

Lucky people bounce back even when things don't go their way.

"They tend to spontaneously imagine how the bad luck they encounter could be worse, and by doing so, they feel much better about themselves and their lives," according to Wiseman. "This, in turn, helps keep their expectations for the future high and increases the likelihood that they will go on to live a happy life." Retrieved from CNBC / CNA