The Four Types of Luck Disguised as Chance
Harvey Dent from Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ said: “The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance.”
Is he right?
There are two camps when it comes to chance or ‘luck.’ People believe that they have luck or they don’t. They tend to say “I never get lucky” or they say, “I’m just a lucky person.” This is also how I viewed the whimsical nature of luck. It was not until after reading the profound insight of Marc Andreessen that I realized both are right. Marc wrote ‘Luck and the Entrepreneur: The Four Kinds of Luck” that draws from the timeless insights of Dr. James Austin. The neurologist and philosopher articulates the juxtaposition of ‘Chase, Chance and Creativity’ which ultimately illuminates the existence of four manifestations of luck disguised as chance.
They are as depicted by both Marc and Dr. Austin:
Chance I : Blind Luck
Chance II: Motion
Chance III: Recognizing Good Fortune
Chance IV: Direct Motion
Chance I, often colloquially referred to as ‘blind luck’, is when fortune finds us unexpectedly and completely at random. Like when Oprah gave away free cars to everyone in the audience back in 2004. This type of luck is a result of right place, right time and seemingly orchestrated by some celestial hand with no intent or agency on our part.
Chance II is very acutely encapsulated by Charles Ketterings’ aphorism - “I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something while sitting down.” It infers that luck, rather than being an ethereal force, in influenced by our deliberate motion. In this way, the mere act of engaging in motion increases the likelihood of stumbling upon luck. Say you find a dollar on the ground on your evening walk. It’s only because you’ve left your house that you were able to be in such a position to stumble upon even the smallest amount of luck. In essence, taking the action of being in motion is how destiny intersects with our lives. Although not always by design, our actions can catalyze tangible results, and in-turn, can set in motion an auspicious chain of events. In the words of Michael Scott, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take…,” or was it Wayne Gretzky?
“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” - Socrates
Chance III is the facet of luck that manifests when we truly embrace and recognize the good fortune around us. As J.Cole said, ‘Love Yours.’ Marc aptly notes that “Chance III involves a special receptivity, discernment, and intuitive grasp of significance unique to one particular recipient.” In other words, it is when we acknowledge the blessings and fortune in our lives, we comprehend that luck has actually been our silent companion. Luck has found you alive today. Luck has found you in love today. Luck has found you loved today. It is only you, the recipient, that can recognize such luck in your life. For this type of luck only presents faint clues. Clues that can easily be overlooked because no one is uniquely equipped to observe or fully grasp its significance except you. If you are not aware what to look for, it will come and go right under your nose without you ever noticing. Only when you grasp this concept will a flash of brilliant insight settle amongst you. This newfound awareness ultimately equips us with a prepared mind, primed to embrace life’s myriad opportunities and chances.
Chance IV is a compelling blend of intuition and purposeful action that empowers us to engineer our encounters with luck. This type of luck is not serendipitous but arises from a direct correlation to our deliberate actions and choices. While Chance III helps us recognize luck, Chance IV enables us to actively seek it out based on our chosen direction. This direction is typically derived from our perspective. Our perspective that is unique to us, serves as our inner compass once we’ve experienced different milestones in life. This is what allows us such luck, an active choice rooted in perspective that unintentionally prompts luck to occur.
Armed with this newfound understanding of the four facets of luck, we ask ourselves: How can we harness them to our advantage? The answer is as profound as it is simple: we must take action. By actively engaging and initiating motion, we heighten our chances of encountering luck. Embracing curiosity, trying new endeavors, and cultivating a growth mindset motivates us to be more discerning, allowing us to recognize the blessings that might have eluded us if we were not mindful and thoughtful. Strengthening our critical thinking permits more reflection, affording us a more insightful perspective. By understanding these tenets of luck, we allow ourselves to recognize our surroundings and the decisions that have led us where we are, here and now. This gives us the space in our minds and hearts for more appreciation and happiness for the luck that we can control.