Why Stupid People Get Lucky?

Statistically, your odds of winning the lottery are one in 292 million. This means you've got a 0.0000338 chance of winning the Powerball jackpot. To put this into perspective, you've got a one in one million two hundred and twenty-two thousand chance of death or injury from lightning in a given year, a one in fifty-seven thousand eight hundred and twenty-five chance of dying from a hornet, wasp, or bee sting during your lifetime, or a one in 35,074 lifetime chance of dying in a cataclysmic storm. So, it's safe to assume your odds of winning the lottery are pretty damn low.

And still, that doesn't stop some people from playing. In fact, U.S. adults spend approximately 370 dollars per person annually on lottery tickets on average. But assuming you know the odds, why would you even try? There’s a higher chance you'll be struck by lightning as you're watching this video.

And look, we don’t want to sound mean, but wasting your money on lottery tickets, mathematically speaking, is pretty dumb. And yet, some people out there seem to get more lucky, often than others. So, is this a myth or is the law of attraction real? Let's answer that question once and for all, shall we?

Welcome to a lux. Stupid people simply try harder. Okay, so we'll stick with the lottery case study because it's easier to put things into perspective. But first, let's make something clear: the idea that stupid people get lucky is a common misconception, as luck isn't necessarily tied to intelligence. It's impossible to prove that. We can collectively agree that dreaming of getting rich by playing the lottery is just, well, how should we put it, innocently naive. Seriously, there's no debate to have here.

But here's where things get interesting: it's true that eventually, someone has to win the lottery jackpot. But it's important not to be misled by that fact. The rules of probability do not change based on the frequency or amount of tickets you buy. Each ticket has the same chance of winning, regardless of how many other tickets have been sold for the same drawing. And while buying more tickets does increase the overall chance of winning a prize, the prize is unlikely to be worth more than the cost of the tickets.

Let's do some math to clarify this. For example, spending one thousand dollars on Mega Millions tickets has a nearly fifty percent chance of returning sixty-four dollars or less, a near 90 chance of returning ninety-two dollars or less, and a 99 chance of returning 554 dollars or less. So, when jackpots grow due to rollovers, players may hope to win some of that money spent by other players. However, this increased jackpot also attracts more players, which can decrease the expected return on a ticket.

And curiously, a small minority of heavy players provide most lottery revenue. A Minnesota study found that 20 percent of lottery players accounted for 71 percent of lottery receipts, while in Pennsylvania, 29 percent of players accounted for 79 percent of lottery revenue. The mathematical odds of winning certainly increase if you buy more tickets, but only by a tiny margin, and even then, it's not guaranteed.

So, rationally speaking, and considering only stupid people would take the chances, the dumber you are, the luckier you can get. And there's certainly a case to be made in this context that stupid people actually get lucky, but their chances of going broke are even higher. Stupid people don't care about outcomes, so they risk it all.

People who are dumb tend to have a tendency toward impulsivity and may not fully consider the potential consequences of their actions, and that's because they lack basic awareness. They're more likely to take risks and make decisions based on emotional impulses rather than logic. Secondly, some individuals may have a limited understanding of probability and may not fully understand the risks associated with gambling. They may be more likely to believe in false narratives or misconceptions about gambling, making them more susceptible to manipulation by gambling schemes.

But sometimes, they do get lucky because some risk-taking can yield a higher reward. The problem is that many of them don't know when to stop and leave the casino and never return, or that the luck and the crazy amount of money they win will eventually become the reason for their downfall. They keep on gambling until they lose everything they've won, and then the vicious cycle repeats.

But there's another angle to this. This type of person doesn't usually let fear hold them back. They don't second-guess themselves every waking second. They don't lie awake all night losing sleep over that one silly thing they said earlier. Fear or regret isn't going to stop them from going after what they crave. And if they fail, well, they'll try something different next time.

Achieving something involves some risk. If you dwell upon every aspect of every possible outcome because you're so smart, you won't risk it, right? But sometimes success comes to those who fail until one time, they don't. Some people use luck to justify how others win with no effort. People might use the concept of luck to explain the success of others as a way to reconcile their own beliefs in meritocracy and hard work with evidence of someone achieving success without putting much work in.

They might believe that success is primarily earned through hard work and talent, but when they encounter someone who seems to have achieved success without putting in the same level of effort, they may attribute it to luck in order to preserve their belief system. Additionally, using luck as an explanation takes away the sting of someone else's success and reduces the feelings of envy or inadequacy.

So, in some sense, we tend to say that someone got lucky because we fail to understand the context. Additionally, people might use luck as a way to downplay the achievements of others and make them seem less threatening. By attributing someone else's success to luck, they can dismiss it as being a fluke and not indicative of any real talent or skill. This allows them to maintain their own sense of superiority and feel like they are still in control.

Using this concept of luck can also serve as a way to absolve oneself from responsibility for their own failures. If someone blames their own lack of success on bad luck, they don't have to face the difficult reality that they may not have put in the necessary effort or made the right decisions to achieve their goals. Moreover, luck is often associated with randomness and unpredictability, which can make it difficult for others to replicate the success of those they see as lucky. This can reduce the perceived threat of someone's success and prevent others from feeling the need to compete with them.

Textbook human behavior right there. We felt it was fair to look at things from this angle as well. So, draw your own conclusions here. When we talk about getting lucky, the context matters a lot. Smart people rely on effort instead of luck. The Roman stoic philosopher Seneca once famously said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." Although it helps, smart people prefer not to rely on luck. Instead, they focus on discipline, effort, and consistency because those are the factors that are within their control, whereas luck is not.

Our choices and actions determine our outcomes rather than external factors such as luck. This is called determinism. This belief suggests that individuals have the power to shape their own lives through the choices they make and the actions they take rather than simply relying on chance or fate. From a logical perspective, relying on effort and discipline is a more reliable strategy for success because it eliminates the element of chance.

When individuals focus on their own abilities and efforts, they can take concrete steps toward their goals, monitor their progress, and adjust their strategies as needed. This type of approach is often more effective in the long run because it's not dependent on chance or external factors that may be beyond an individual's control. In contrast, relying on luck implies a belief that success is determined by chance or external factors rather than one's own choices and actions. This approach can lead to a sense of helplessness and a lack of control as individuals may feel that their outcomes are determined by forces beyond their control.

Additionally, success that is achieved through luck is often not sustainable, as luck is unpredictable and not always favorable. So, if you believe only stupid people need luck to be successful, then yes, the logical conclusion is that stupid people get luckier. And that's simply because when smart people get lucky, they prefer to call it seizing an opportunity.

Human nature loves high-risk, low-effort, and high-reward outcomes. In general, humans are wired to seek rewards and avoid risks in order to survive and thrive. However, the extent to which individuals are attracted to high-risk, low-effort, and high-reward outcomes varies based on their genetics, experience, and environment. The dopamine system in the brain, which is involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, can influence a person's preference for certain types of rewards, including those that are perceived as high risk.

From a philosophical perspective, the idea that human nature is attracted to high-risk, low-effort, and high-reward outcomes is a matter of debate. Some philosophers argue that humans are naturally drawn to such outcomes as they offer the potential for quick and sustainable gain. Others argue that human behavior is shaped more by social and cultural factors, and the attraction to high-risk, low-effort, and high-reward outcomes is a result of individual and collective biases and cultural values.

In either case, it's important to note that this type of decision-making is not always rational or beneficial in the long term. It's actually kind of reckless, which is why we tend to associate this with stupidity. And that's all for today!

Aylock, sir, do you believe in luck? If so, please tell us what was the luckiest day of your life! We're always eager to hear a great story, so make sure to share it with us and the community in the comments below. If you found this video interesting, don't forget to return the favor by tipping us with a like and, as always, thanks for watching. And if you're curious to learn some more, check out this video next. We'll see you back here again tomorrow.