Luck can refer to the way we know the events in the world or to an entity which actually exists in the world. In the first sense, luck refers to the limitations of our cognitive capacities which can perceive many events in the world as random or uncontrollable. In the second sense, luck is a causal agent, expressed, for example, in the beliefs in Lady Luck (the ancient goddess Fortuna), an unlucky day (Friday the 13th) or a luck-controlling force (one's lucky star or, conversely, the evil eye). It is also expressed in saying such as, "If my father had made me a hatter, folk would have been born without heads", and "Luck was always with me."

A lucky occurrence is one that arises from events that appear to be non-causal, random, beyond our control, and that have a highly available alternative. All these meanings indicate that as far as the affected person is concerned, the lucky event came about by accident; as such, these meanings represent different degrees of opposition to a scientific picture of a causal, predictable, and controllable world. Rational thinking in general, and "hard" science in particular, can be described as an attempt to reduce the role of luck in our explanations and behavior. They spring from our desire to reduce the uncertainties of a seemingly chaotic world. To omniscience there could be no luck; to advancing knowledge there is less luck. Rational thinking is perceived as being incompatible with the belief in luck and with attaching a significant role to emotions in our life. A professional intellectual behavior is an emotionless behavior which attaches no importance to luck. In light of such a view, education should eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, the influence of both luck and emotions.

A major everyday meaning of luck refers to events in which the alternative is very close and hence easily imagined. This is clearly evident when reading or watching interviews with victims of life-threatening attacks, illness, or natural disasters. Such interviews give the impression that each survivor is lucky. Victims commonly feel lucky because they could have been more severely victimized. Thus, one crime victim said that "We were very lucky. He took only the stereo and the TV It could have been a lot worse." Similarly, instead of bemoaning the loss of her home and car, the tornado victim is relieved, even jubilant, that she and her family so narrowly escaped death. When the alternative is immediate, highly possible and significant, it makes us evaluate our present situation differently.

The phrase "lucky at cards-unlucky in love" describes the fact that many persons are notably lucky in some ways and unlucky in others. This phrase may also indicate that we can always consider ourselves lucky from a certain viewpoint. Thus, Socrates said that having a wife is always good: if you find a good wife, you will be happy; if not, you will become a philosopher. This attitude may be described as alert optimism.

In both luck and the emotions the current situation is perceived to be exceptional: the emotional change and the event eliciting the lucky experience are surprising in light of expected normal circumstances. The experience of being lucky or unlucky, rather than merely feeling good or bad about something, is crucial for many emotions. Thus, the statement, "I am lucky to have such a good wife" is clearly seen as expressing more intense gratitude than the sentence "It is good I have a good wife." The significance of the former sentence is more closely related to a comparison with an imagined alternative.

Lovers consider their love as exceptional in the sense that love such as this cannot be found elsewhere: there is no need to wonder whether life with another lover might be more exciting, as no more exciting lover could possibly exist. Statements such as "I believe that no one has ever experienced feelings of such magnitude," are common among lovers. The loving experience is perceived to be so thrilling that in the whole universe it is rare and hard to find. Although there are many stories, poems and movies about profound love, the lovers still consider their own particular case as one of its kind. No wonder that lovers are so proud of their love.

The exceptionality of genuine love is expressed in using words related to miracles and magic: "you put a spell on me," "you are my magic magician," and "our love reverses nature's laws." For this reason, the beloved is often described as "exceptional" or as the only human being who ever really understood the lover. It is easy to understand here how love is associated with the divine or another entity generating one's destiny.

The exceptional nature of lucky events enables people to perceive their love as stemming from both luck and destiny. In a sense, both appear random because the person cannot explain or control either of them. Accordingly, if you do feel lucky in having your beloved, it is probably because you are profoundly in love with him/her.

Adapted from The Subtlety of Emotions