The Intuitive Approach to Luck
Below the threshold of consciousness is a kind of secret reference library of unspoken knowledge and forgotten impressions. The unconscious mind at certain times will pull out the evidence that bears on a risk before you, delivering its verdict in the mysterious form of intuition.
Our intuitive judgments of others may sometimes arise from unconscious impressions of previous experiences with people of similar characteristics. The wife of a friend once cautioned her husband to avoid Jim, a new acquaintance at work. The friend later told me: “Jim was a good fellow, but I felt highly competitive toward him. He brought out the worst in me.” The wife had demonstrated sound intuition. No one can afford to forget that while he is influencing other people, they are also influencing him, for better or worse. Getting involved with competitive people often brings bad luck.
Little mishaps in the home or office have many times been preludes to larger misfortunes. This is certainly not to say that we should seek for omens. But there is nothing superstitious about recognizing the implications of our unconscious actions. Sigmund Freud stressed this point, noting: “The Roman who … withdrew from an undertaking because he had stumbled on his threshold … was a better psychologist than we … For his stumbling could demonstrate to him the existence of a doubt … the force of which could weaken the power of his intention at the moment of its execution. For only by concentrating all psychic forces on the desired aim can one be assured of its success.”
Never confuse intuition with a mere wish for something. Apparent intuitions that coincide with feverish wishes, and which involve high risks—such as the desire to romantically win over an uninterested or deeply flawed lover—should always be regarded with suspicion.