Skip to content

Habits Quote by David McRaney

“Wiseman speculated that what we call luck is actually a pattern of behaviors that coincide with a style of understanding and interacting with the events and people you encounter throughout life. Unlucky people are narrowly focused, he observed. They crave security and tend to be more anxious, and…” quote by David McRaney
Download Open image
““Wiseman speculated that what we call luck is actually a pattern of behaviors that coincide with a style of understanding and interacting with the events and people you encounter throughout life. Unlucky people are narrowly focused, he observed. They crave security and tend to be more anxious, and instead of wading into the sea of random chance open to what may come, they remain fixated on controlling the situation, on seeking a specific goal. As a result, they miss out on the thousands of opportunities that may float by. Lucky people tend to constantly change routines and seek out new experiences. Wiseman saw that the people who considered themselves lucky, and who then did actually demonstrate luck was on their side over the course of a decade, tended to place themselves into situations where anything could happen more often and thus exposed themselves to more random chance than did unlucky people. The lucky try more things, and fail more often, but when they fail they shrug it off and try something else. Occasionally, things work out.””

David McRaney

About This Quote

Source Book: “The Luck Factor” by Richard Wiseman, discussed by McRaney, 2015

Luck arises from open, varied experiences and flexible mindsets; fear of control limits exposure to chance.

In simple terms: Being open to new experiences creates luck.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty and diversify routines.

Themes

luck mindset risk opportunity growth

Mood

curious optimistic

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

  • career development
  • travel
  • learning new
  • social networking

Key Concepts

probability behavioral patterns

Questions to Reflect On

  • Do you actively seek new experiences?
  • How do you handle failure when trying something new?
A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on chance can ignore skill and preparation.

3.3 out of 5 (10 ratings)

More by David McRaney

Explore all 67 David McRaney quotes

More Habits quotes

Browse all 12,572 Habits quotes