Is 'Luck' Cyclical? Is It a Limited Resource? Or Is It Something Else...

There are many kinds of 'luck'.

From small things like finding a coin on the side of the road to big things like winning the lottery, when something happens that is coincidentally happy, people call it 'good luck'.

Conversely, when a shop you intended to visit is temporarily closed, or it rains heavily throughout your long-awaited trip, you might think, 'I'm unlucky.' This is 'bad luck'.

Something I have been thinking about for a long time is what kind of nature this 'luck' actually has.

For example,

'I've been having such good luck lately!'

Have you ever heard someone say that?
It is a way of speaking that suggests good luck is being triggered in a concentrated manner over a certain period.
This is the hypothesis that 'luck is cyclical' ({Cyclical).

On the other hand,

'Oh man, I've used up all my luck,' is another pattern.

This happens when, for example, you get front-row seats at a concert.
This is based on the idea that there is a fixed total amount of good luck, which is consumed each time it is triggered.
In other words, it is the idea that 'luck has a limited number of uses' ({Limited Resource).

Is it cyclical, or is it a limited resource? Which one is the true nature of 'luck'?
I took this opportunity to ponder the matter.

The cyclical theory is a relatively easy idea to support.

For example, the concept of cycles where fortune declines, such as 'unlucky years' or 'periods of great misfortune,' is already well-established.
If there is a decline, it stands to reason that there are also cycles of improvement.

I do not deny the opinion that gods, Buddhas, and fortune-telling are dubious, but as long as professions like monks and fortune-tellers exist in the modern world, I cannot say they are entirely bizarre.
At the very least, I think it is acceptable as one way of looking at things.

What about the limited resource theory?

Based on personal experience, I feel that after a major stroke of good luck, it is difficult to encounter a similar level of good luck again.
If one could win the lottery that many times, no one would have any trouble.

Conversely, aren't relatively small bits of good luck triggered countless times?
It would be too sad if having a tea stalk stand upright in your cup once in childhood meant the rest of your life would be entirely unlucky.

If someone were to say, 'The magnitude of good luck is proportional to the amount of luck consumed,' that might indeed be true.

Are both of these hypotheses correct?
Or is there another theory that can explain it more effectively?

When you think about it carefully, 'luck' is a terrifyingly ambiguous existence.

Even if you find a coin on the side of the road, if you throw out your back while stooping to pick it up, the result is ultimately bad luck.

Even if a shop you intended to visit is closed, if the alternative shop you go to instead is a huge hit, that in itself would be good luck.

In the end, since whether something is good or bad luck changes depending on how you look at it, perhaps there are neither cycles nor limited resources.

When I thought about "luck," I found something very interesting.

It is Shohei Ohtani's Mandala Chart.

Ohtani used this Mandala Chart when he was a high school student.

The goal set there was "Drafted 1st round by 8 teams" (= to be selected in the first round of the draft by 8 teams).
And among the elements to achieve that goal, there was "luck."

Furthermore, the eight elements that make up that "luck" are as follows.

• Picking up trash

• Cleaning my room

• Attitude toward umpires

• Reading books

• Becoming a person who is supported by others

• Positive thinking

• Using equipment with care

• Greetings

Everyone in the world understands that it was not just "luck" that allowed Ohtani to succeed as a baseball player.

Since even someone like him places such importance on "luck," the concept of "luck" cannot be ignored.

On that note, he lists things to do to attract "luck."
These eight elements include lifestyle habits and daily actions, showing that he strives for upright conduct.

Which means, then.
Perhaps "luck" can be obtained, at least to some extent, through one's own efforts.

This seems to connect to the earlier discussion about cyclical systems and remaining-life systems.

By attracting 'luck,' perhaps the cycle of good fortune shortens, allowing it to visit more frequently.

Also, perhaps the number of remaining lives of good fortune increases, leading to more frequent occurrences of major good luck.

In addition, to rephrase what I said earlier about it being 'a matter of perspective,' it means 'increasing one's sensitivity to happiness.'
Even small things, or things that seem like bad luck at first glance, can become good luck depending on how you think about them. As seen in Shohei Ohtani's Mandala Chart, 'positive thinking' is indeed important.

In other words, 'luck' is a hybrid system of cycles and remaining lives, and it is something that can be increased to some extent by raising your sensitivity to happiness and accumulating good deeds.

...That is Arlon's conclusion.

What do you think? (I ended up copying Yahiro-san. Sorry about that.)