Imagination and Luck
Wherever luck is most impressive, it is usually because energy has been directed by imagination, which reveals the potentialities of a chance.
Not every imagination, as we all know, makes for good luck. Notably, the egocentric imagination, which evokes images concerned primarily with selfish gratifications, invites unluckiness. One of its distinguishing products is the daydream—the fantasy that is always concerned with the future of the dream and which leads to the fictional fulfillment of some desire. Heedlessly indulged, the daydream can be a menace to good luck. It weakens one’s hold on reality and reduces the energy available for the real tasks of life.
Another unlucky way the egocentric imagination expresses itself is morbidity. The morbid imagination tends to focus on the unpleasant perceptions that fit into its dark and distorted picture of life, and to ignore constructive or encouraging elements. Where this condition exists, a trivial chance can easily produce a major increase of unhappiness.
The unmistakable characteristic of the healthy and lucky imagination is that it readily turns outward, away from the self. It does not confuse the world of external reality with the images conjured up by desire or anxiety. The healthy imagination also has a high capacity for empathy, which enables you to share in the feelings of others in given situations. A great part of human luck depends on other people. When we share in their states of mind, we are more likely to respond to chances in ways that link them to us emotionally, making for a greater probability of luck for all concerned.
Just as a strong empathic imagination can bring good luck out of unfavorable circumstances, such as forming a bond with a gifted person who has experienced a temporary setback, a counter weakness area can lead to disastrous failures. This is irrational prejudice. Irrational prejudice includes snobbishness, religious or racial bigotry, and class discrimination. The creeping vine of intolerance chokes off the empathic imagination. What’s more, prejudice dwells in insecure minds, which are natural targets for trouble.