Luck, fairness and justice, three concepts that many of us think we don’t get much of. This fact could depress us. But, luckily, we can change this around for ourselves.
Thomas Jefferson said, “ I’m a great believer in luck, and the harder I work, the more I have of it.”
What is luck? To most people it means good fortune, advantage or success, that happens to a person purely by chance. If you wait for this definition of luck to affect you, you will wait a long time, maybe all your life! So many people go through life lamenting, “ I’m so unlucky, nothing seems to go my way.”
But, does it have to be this way? Can you make your own “luck”?
People crave fairness for themselves, and in the world. You and I would like everything to be, at least, moderately good or satisfactory in life. Ideally, people would like everything to be free from bias, inequity, dishonesty and injustice. But is this the way it is? No!
So, the concept of fairness is easily explained, but impossible to implement. Fairness is sort of an innocence of mind.
The world wouldn’t function if everything had to be exactly fair. Everyone’s self-interest would have to be satisfied. This would promote conflicting demands and social chaos. People would be bumping into each other, literally and figuratively. Even nature would be stunted. Nature isn’t fair, animals eat other animals. This isn’t fair to the ones being eaten. Tornadoes, floods and all kinds of natural disasters are not fair to the ones affected. But this is all part of the balance of nature.
Everyday the world and it’s inhabitants are unfair in some way. But, we are all conditioned to look for fairness in life, and when it doesn’t happen, we tend to feel anger, anxiety and frustration.
Can we make our own fairness?
Aristotle defined justice as the principle that equals should be treated equally and unequals treated unequally.
We all have an instinctive need for justice. But so many people feel the world is full of injustice, and the only way to live, is to do an injustice to someone before they do one to you. One of the paradoxes of life is that people have a need for justice, but they deal with inequity by doing more injustice to others to get even.
Another negative attitude toward justice is the way some people view the legal system. It’s as if the rich and influential are judged by a different set of rules than the masses.
Justice is defined as the quality of being just and equitable. It’s the quality of moral rightness. But can we, as individuals, help justice survive and satisfy our need?
The world runs on the basis of struggle, and with struggle comes inequities. Out of this comes a feeling that there is no luck, no fairness, and no justice. What can we do to turn our attitude positive?
So, luck, fairness, justice, is there any? As we have seen, externally (outside yourself), in the outside world, there is little to none. But internally (within yourself), I say, yes, there can be luck, fairness and justice in your own personal world.
Can you make your own luck? Yes, but how? By working hard to attain your goals. It all depends upon your mental attitude toward “bad breaks”. Successful people turn the so called “bad breaks” around to their advantage, if this isn’t possible, they learn lessons from them.
In the final analysis, if you stick to your goals and grasp opportunities, the “luck” comes.
Can we make our own fairness? Yes, I believe you can, if you stop comparing yourself to what others have or do, and start comparing yourself with yourself.
You are a unique person in this unfair world, so you must begin to see your emotional life as separate from what others say, do, or have. When you compare yourself by your own standards, you are creating your own fairness.
Can we serve our instinct and help justice survive? Yes, I believe we can, by developing new thinking. Believing that a situation doesn’t have to be unjust, if enough people decide they want to change it for the better. And you can start the ball rolling by not doing injustices to others.
We can all do our little bit by helping get a new law passed or supporting some cause that we believe will bring more justice to the world. Right action with good will toward your fellow humans will help justice along the way.
You have the power to choose, so your destiny is in your own hands. You can make your own “luck”. You can create your own fairness, and you can help justice survive.
Remember, whatever happens in the outside world, is not as important as your attitude toward it.
Good luck and happy expectations.
