Luck and Happiness

Psychologist and Happiness researcher Ad Bergsma will explore the relationships between luck and happiness. Is it true that outgoing people encounter more luck, because their "sunny outlook" influences their overall behaviour? Is the Pygmalion Effect (self-fulfilling prophecy of good omen) real and probably involved with being and feeling lucky? Can we escape pain and sadness with optimism and positive thinking, or do negative emotions serve an important function in our lives? We might need a bit of luck to be happy.

Series: Luck

Many events, big and small, can be considered lucky. Catching the bus with seconds to spare. Winning a lottery. Finding twenty euros in a pocket at the end of the month. However, do you consider yourself lucky for being born in a wealthy family? Are you lucky when, out of multiple applicants, you are chosen for a job? Where to draw the line between luck and hard work? Is belief in luck and superstition more prevalent where there is less control over a situation? Can we influence our luck, or only the way we perceive the event?

Also in this series

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  Luck in Science 24 juni 2015 - What do the DNA helix, penicillin and the Post-It have in common? They were all lucky discoveries. The finders were a little bit lucky by either...