Active reading 1:NavigationText organisationmathematicalReasonsAclose connectionbetweenpeople'sperceptionofbad luckpsychologicaland interestingcoincidence.Bad things always happeExampleinthrees
Active reading 1: Navigation Text organisation Reasons psychological mathematical A close connection between people’s perception of bad luck and interesting coincidence. Example Bad things always happen in threes
Text-Can bad luck be explained?Toast always lands butter side down. It always rainson bank holidays. You never win the lottery, but otherpeople you know seem to ... Do you ever get theimpression that you were born unlucky? Even the mostrational person can be convinced at times that there isa force out there making mishaps occur at the worstpossible time. We all like to believe that Murphy's Law istrue ("if it can go wrong, it will").Translation
Can bad luck be explained? 1 Toast always lands butter side down. It always rains on bank holidays. You never win the lottery, but other people you know seem to . Do you ever get the impression that you were born unlucky? Even the most rational person can be convinced at times that there is a force out there making mishaps occur at the worst possible time. We all like to believe that Murphy's Law is true (“if it can go wrong, it will”). Text
TextPart of the explanation for bad luck is mathematical2but part is psychological. Indeed there is a very closeconnection between people's perception of bad luckand interesting coincidences.For example, take the belief that "bad things always3happen in threes"” (iust like buses ...!) This popularnotion would be unlikely to stand the scrutiny ofany scientific study, but it must have some basis inexperience, otherwise the phrase would never havearisen in the first place. What might be the rationalexplanation?Translation
2 Part of the explanation for bad luck is mathematical, but part is psychological. Indeed there is a very close connection between people's perception of bad luck and interesting coincidences. 3 For example, take the belief that “bad things always happen in threes” (just like buses .!) This popular notion would be unlikely to stand the scrutiny of any scientific study, but it must have some basis in experience, otherwise the phrase would never have arisen in the first place. What might be the rational explanation? Text
TextThe first question is "what is bad?"4Some things are only marginally bad, for example the5train arriving five minutes late. Some are extremely bad,such as failing an exam or being sacked. So badness ismuch better represented as being on a spectrum ratherthan something which is there or not thereTranslation
4 The first question is “what is bad?” 5 Some things are only marginally bad, for example the train arriving five minutes late. Some are extremely bad, such as failing an exam or being sacked. So badness is much better represented as being on a spectrum rather than something which is there or not there. Text
TextA particular event may only be a misfortune because6of the circumstances around it. The train arriving fiveminutes late is a neutral event if you are in no hurryand reading an interesting newspaper article while youwait. It is bad if you are late for an important meetingTranslation
6 A particular event may only be a misfortune because of the circumstances around it. The train arriving five minutes late is a neutral event if you are in no hurry and reading an interesting newspaper article while you wait. It is bad if you are late for an important meeting. Text