Luck facts for kids
Luck or chance is fortune (whether bad or good) which occurs beyond one's control, without regard to one's will, intention, or desired result. There are at least two senses people usually mean when they use the term, the prescriptive sense and the descriptive sense. In the prescriptive sense, luck is a supernatural and deterministic concept that there are forces (e.g. gods or spirits) which prescribe that certain events occur very much the way laws of physics will prescribe that certain events occur. It is the prescriptive sense that people mean when they say they "do not believe in luck". In the descriptive sense, luck is a word people give after the occurrence of events which they find to be fortuitous or unfortuitous, and perhaps improbable.
Cultural views of luck vary from perceiving luck as a matter of random chance to attributing to luck explanations of faith or superstition. For example, the Romans believed in the embodiment of luck as the goddess Fortuna, while the philosopher Daniel Dennett believes that "luck is mere luck" rather than a property of a person or thing.
Lucky symbols are popular worldwide and take many forms.
Contents
Social aspects of luck
Luck is an important factor in many aspects of society.
Games
A game may depend on luck rather than skill or effort. For example, Chess does not involve any random factors such as throwing dice, while Dominoes has the "luck of the draw" when selecting tiles.
Lotteries
Many countries have a national lottery. Individual views of the chance of winning, and what it might mean to win, are largely expressed by statements about luck. For example, the winner was "just lucky" meaning they contributed no skill or effort.
Means of resolving issues
"Leaving it to chance" is a way of resolving issues. For example, flipping a coin at the start of a sporting event may determine who goes first.
Science
Different thinkers like Thomas Kuhn have discussed the role of chance in scientific discoveries.
Images for kids
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1927 advertisement for lucky jewellery. "Why Be Unlucky?".
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A horseshoe on a door is regarded a protective talisman in some cultures
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A barnstar, mounted on a wall, is seen as a lucky symbol in some parts of North America
See also
In Spanish: Suerte para niños
