Lucky vs unlucky people: Psychologists after a 10-year study find what lucky people do differently

Most people have, at some point, looked at someone successful and thought they were simply lucky. But according to psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman, luck is not just about chance. After spending around a decade studying hundreds of people who described themselves as either consistently lucky or consistently unlucky, he came to a different conclusion. His research suggests that many people create more opportunities for themselves through the way they think and behave.

The findings, published in his book The Luck Factor, argue that luck is often shaped by mindset, habits and everyday decisions rather than mysterious good fortune.

The newspaper experiment that surprised researchers

One of Wiseman's best-known experiments showed how people notice opportunities differently.


Participants who considered themselves lucky and unlucky were given a newspaper and asked to count the photographs inside. Hidden on the second page was a large message that read: "Stop counting – There are 43 photographs in this newspaper."

Further into the paper, another message said: "Stop counting, tell the experimenter you have seen this and win $250."

Many of the self-described unlucky participants missed both messages because they stayed focused only on counting photographs. Lucky participants, however, noticed the signs almost immediately.

Explaining the result, Wiseman wrote: "Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else." He added that they often become so fixed on a single goal that they overlook other valuable possibilities around them.

Four habits that set lucky people apart

Based on years of interviews, personality tests and experiments, Wiseman identified four common traits among people who consistently describe themselves as lucky.

The first is creating and noticing chance opportunities. Lucky people tend to meet new people, build wider social networks and remain open to experiences they did not originally plan for.

The second is trusting their intuition. According to Wiseman, "unlucky people often fail to follow their intuition when making a choice, whereas lucky people tend to respect hunches." He found that many lucky people deliberately clear their minds before making important decisions so they can listen to their instincts.

The third habit is expecting positive outcomes. Rather than assuming failure, lucky people believe good things can happen. Those expectations often encourage them to keep trying, even after setbacks.

The final principle is learning from bad luck instead of getting stuck in it. Wiseman found that lucky people naturally imagine how a situation could have been worse. That way of thinking helps them recover faster and move on.

Can luck really be learned?

To test whether these habits could be developed, Wiseman launched what he called a "Luck School." Volunteers spent about a month practising exercises designed to help them think and behave more like lucky people.

The results were encouraging. Around 80% of participants reported feeling happier, more confident and, in their own words, luckier by the end of the programme. Some even said they unexpectedly found new jobs or relationships during that period.

Wiseman believes the changes happened because people became more aware of opportunities they had previously ignored.

As he put it, "Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore, see what is there rather than just what they are looking for."

His research suggests that while nobody can control every event in life, being curious, staying open to new experiences, trusting intuition and recovering well from setbacks may make people feel—and perhaps become—a little luckier over time.