Good Luck

Acriku · April 11, 2003

One thing I never understood was the hopeful comment, "Good Luck." Let me create a scenario.

I am in an All State Band competition. I am doing a solo on the bass clarinet, in front of three judges and an accompaning pianist. The morning of, at drop-off, my mom wishes me, "Good luck son!"

Now, let's say I win Superior Ribbon (the best, and which I did but it was All County not All State, hooray for me!), does that mean it was totally not my doing that let me win, and it was the "luck" that my mom wished me? Was my achievement not derived from skill, but from luck?

And then my mom congratulates me and says, "Good job! You did a great job!" Now, she says I did it. But luck did it, right? After all, she wished me luck, and I won. So I was lucky to win, right?

Screw the term "Good Luck" - it takes the fun out of everything.

SurlyPIG · April 11, 2003

I think you read into it too much. It's just a phrase...

thomas · April 11, 2003

hmm well its just an expression meaning the same as "I hope you'll do really well" in only two words

lowzeewee · April 11, 2003

Saying good luck will not affect anything,its just an encouragement phrase :)

Acriku · April 11, 2003

But think about it - they wish me something that is entirely out of my hands. They don't say "Good skills!" or "I hope you do your best!" - they say good luck. I am making a stand ladies and gentlemen. A stand that will forever live in infamy. A stand that no man nor woman will not see when they look at the American flag. A stand that even my enemies must bow in respect to. A stand that I will no longer wish anybody luck. I will believe that they can do it, and will do it. A stand.

thomas · April 11, 2003

ok um "FIHGT HTE OPWER! SCERW SPELING!!!!! ;D

lowzeewee · April 11, 2003

But think about it - they wish me something that is entirely out of my hands. They don't say "Good skills!" or "I hope you do your best!" - they say good luck. I am making a stand ladies and gentlemen. A stand that will forever live in infamy. A stand that no man nor woman will not see when they look at the American flag. A stand that even my enemies must bow in respect to. A stand that I will no longer wish anybody luck. I will believe that they can do it, and will do it. A stand.

Whoa!I think you are going too deep into that phrase man!Chill bro!Its just a form of wishing that you will do your best in the competition :)

TMA_1 · April 11, 2003

think about this then. Why do people say "sleep well"? you cannot guarintee that somebody will sleep well. It is a nice thing to say acriku. sometimes cultures have phrases that are popular to say. that doesnt mean they are true man.lol it is the caringness behind those sayings that matter. All you do is question the impossible or obvious. Try being realistic.lol

thomas · April 11, 2003

but sleep well means have a good rest but good luck means htat thye hope you're lucky because you can't complete the task alone without divine intervention.

Timenn · April 11, 2003

What is your definition of luck?

I think it is not only the term for a coincidence which is positive for you. Luck is something bigger. You can have a lucky live, a happy live.

And the term 'Good Luck', it's just the way you say. In Dutch for example we say (translated literally): Much succes!

Acriku · April 11, 2003

Ok, I guess no one got that I wasn't entirely serious in my second post. Of course I knew some people wouldn't...

Scytale seems to understand what I am talking about :)

It's time we started to look at what we are saying, and realize the errors in it.

Timenn · April 11, 2003

I refered to your first post actually, I don't know about the others

Acriku · April 11, 2003

Oh, I thought you were talking to Scytale - whoops. Well, my definition of luck is as follows:

Luck is the chance of something happening.

Good luck is the chance of something good happening (to the beholder).

Bad luck is the chance of something bad happening (to the beholder).

Apollyon · April 11, 2003

I think that the term "good luck" should be interpreted as "I hope you receive no bad luck".

DjCiD · April 11, 2003

She may have meant 'Good Luck' as in 'I hope you don't get stuck with three judges like Simon from American Idol'. Wishing you luck for the circumstances that aren't within your control. You had the skill, she knew that so she wish you luck for the events you have no control over, and were lucky they weren't like Simon. ^-^

Sleep Well. You may not be able to regulate the wellness of your sleep, but if some one wishes you Sweet Dreams you can do you best to control them. I even encourage my children, I tell them if they have bad dreams to change them. If they see a spooky house make it into a fun-house. (hey I know its corny sounding but it works) ;)

XCH · April 12, 2003

She may have meant 'Good Luck' as in 'I hope you don't get stuck with three judges like Simon from American Idol'. Wishing you luck for the circumstances that aren't within your control. You had the skill, she knew that so she wish you luck for the events you have no control over, and were lucky they weren't like Simon. ^-^
Sleep Well. You may not be able to regulate the wellness of your sleep, but if some one wishes you Sweet Dreams you can do you best to control them. I even encourage my children, I tell them if they have bad dreams to change them. If they see a spooky house make it into a fun-house. (hey I know its corny sounding but it works) ;)

This makes a lot of sense. In the case of Acriku it could have easily been luck that made him win. I have had the same expierence with playing cello. Here was my scenerio:

I tried out for All-County orchestra. My teacher thought that I was better prepared than some of his other students.

The judge graded harder than the others. I did not get in, but some of the less-prepared students did.

It was out of my control whether i would get in because as long as I played decently it would depend on my judge.

I still hate the expression, along with "how come"--it is an idiom for "how does it come to be" or "how does it come to be that."

nemafakei · April 12, 2003

"Good luck"

:

"Would that all factors which are, from your point of view and consideration, random, err in your favour."

SurlyPIG · April 13, 2003

Yeah that covers it...

Which one of Nema's phrases would you rather say/have said to you?

I think I'll use that second one on someone just to freak them out...

Navaros · April 13, 2003

when people tell me "gl" in an online RTS, i tell them to quit

if they say that to me and then don't quit - they are hypocrites. for them to wish me luck, that means they want me to Win. if they want me to Win, then they should either not try at all, or quit immediately.

most of the times, i engage in dialogue with these hypocrites and the conversation always goes downhill. because the hypocrites refuse to acknowledge the fact that their words/actions/inactions have proven them to be hypocrites. so they are actually both hypocrites, and hypocrites-in-denial.

ordos45 · April 13, 2003

when people tell me "gl" in an online RTS, i tell them to quit
if they say that to me and then don't quit - they are hypocrites. for them to wish me luck, that means they want me to Win. if they want me to Win, then they should either not try at all, or quit immediately.
most of the times, i engage in dialogue with these hypocrites and the conversation always goes downhill. because the hypocrites refuse to acknowledge the fact that their words/actions/inactions have proven them to be hypocrites. so they are actually both hypocrites, and hypocrites-in-denial.

There's a little thing called good sportsmanship...

Khan · April 13, 2003

Geez Arohk it's just a thing people say, no need to go psycho-boy on someone.

Navaros · April 13, 2003

when people tell me "gl" in an online RTS, i tell them to quit
if they say that to me and then don't quit - they are hypocrites. for them to wish me luck, that means they want me to Win. if they want me to Win, then they should either not try at all, or quit immediately.
most of the times, i engage in dialogue with these hypocrites and the conversation always goes downhill. because the hypocrites refuse to acknowledge the fact that their words/actions/inactions have proven them to be hypocrites. so they are actually both hypocrites, and hypocrites-in-denial.
There's a little thing called good sportsmanship...

let's not confuse "being a hypocrite" with "good sportsmanship"

Acriku · April 13, 2003

Or they know you can't win, so they wish you some "luck" so you don't win so badly, or that you need luck to win :)

thomas · April 14, 2003

when people tell me "gl" in an online RTS, i tell them to quit
if they say that to me and then don't quit - they are hypocrites. for them to wish me luck, that means they want me to Win. if they want me to Win, then they should either not try at all, or quit immediately.
most of the times, i engage in dialogue with these hypocrites and the conversation always goes downhill. because the hypocrites refuse to acknowledge the fact that their words/actions/inactions have proven them to be hypocrites. so they are actually both hypocrites, and hypocrites-in-denial.
There's a little thing called good sportsmanship...
let's not confuse "being a hypocrite" with "good sportsmanship"

when they say GL they mean is they wish you luck or they wish you'll do good and not suck because they want a challenge. god luck doesn't mean "I hope you win" it means "do well so you'll actually be a challenge ;) ;D

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