Lightning Conductors/Sh*** magnets
Discussion
Do you know someone who is regularly in the midst of drama, tragedy and bad luck?
Hearing about the daughter of an old neighbour recently got me thinking about this. Some of the problems are I guess self inflicted, but others - are seemingly terrible luck.
A well brought up woman. Nice family, good area, school etc. Her sister appears to be a well balanced person with kids and a career. I knew them when they were little kids. Nice children from a nice family.
This is just some of the stuff that’s happened to her:
A series of relationships that have ended badly.
Incidents involving partners arriving at the family home. Police called.
Her lovely well mannered son took his own life.
She developed a nut allergy at aged 30-something and went into shock while driving. Minor crash, ambulance etc.
Her partner went missing. It got on the news. He turned up.
Always losing phones, keys, etc.
Car stolen.
It’s a catalogue if chaos and misfortune, yet if you met her you’d think she was an attractive, intelligent level-headed 30-something.
Not to make light of the tragedy she has suffered, but she is a real life “Unlucky Alf” from the Fast Show.
How do people become like this? Is it just down to appalling luck? Is it the way certain people are wired?
Hearing about the daughter of an old neighbour recently got me thinking about this. Some of the problems are I guess self inflicted, but others - are seemingly terrible luck.
A well brought up woman. Nice family, good area, school etc. Her sister appears to be a well balanced person with kids and a career. I knew them when they were little kids. Nice children from a nice family.
This is just some of the stuff that’s happened to her:
A series of relationships that have ended badly.
Incidents involving partners arriving at the family home. Police called.
Her lovely well mannered son took his own life.
She developed a nut allergy at aged 30-something and went into shock while driving. Minor crash, ambulance etc.
Her partner went missing. It got on the news. He turned up.
Always losing phones, keys, etc.
Car stolen.
It’s a catalogue if chaos and misfortune, yet if you met her you’d think she was an attractive, intelligent level-headed 30-something.
Not to make light of the tragedy she has suffered, but she is a real life “Unlucky Alf” from the Fast Show.
How do people become like this? Is it just down to appalling luck? Is it the way certain people are wired?
I know a couple of people who are 'unlucky' and obviously plain bad luck exists and statistically speaking, some people will get more than others.
But I have noticed that many of the people I know who have repeated bad luck are not what I would call precise, mindful and active, and I think that makes a big difference in life.
Being aware of what is going on around you (you might just notice you left your keys/phone on the table or that dodgy character watching you), acting with precision (I.e. close the door, rather than throw it at the hole, and you might find the 'bad luck' of a failed lock never strikes, or the things around you break a lot less if you don't force them), being mindful of your goals (you might see an opportunity) and staying active and eating well (you might not get Ill so often) all contribute to 'better luck' in my experience...
But I have noticed that many of the people I know who have repeated bad luck are not what I would call precise, mindful and active, and I think that makes a big difference in life.
Being aware of what is going on around you (you might just notice you left your keys/phone on the table or that dodgy character watching you), acting with precision (I.e. close the door, rather than throw it at the hole, and you might find the 'bad luck' of a failed lock never strikes, or the things around you break a lot less if you don't force them), being mindful of your goals (you might see an opportunity) and staying active and eating well (you might not get Ill so often) all contribute to 'better luck' in my experience...
Baldchap said:
I know a couple of people who are 'unlucky' and obviously plain bad luck exists and statistically speaking, some people will get more than others.
But I have noticed that many of the people I know who have repeated bad luck are not what I would call precise, mindful and active, and I think that makes a big difference in life.
But I have noticed that many of the people I know who have repeated bad luck are not what I would call precise, mindful and active, and I think that makes a big difference in life.
I used to work with someone who was a complete, perpetual s
tmagnet. A decent chap in himself, but his entire existence seemed to be on a teeter-totter of total disaster. At every level, from being the only person in the office for whom the laserjet printer consistently malfunctioned, to being involved in three write-off car accidents in three years. Every aspect of his life seemed to involve drama, struggle, problems and disaster. BUT 'precise, mindful and active' were absolutely not words you could use to describe him. His time management and ability to prioritise tasks was absysmal, so he was always plate-spinning and rushing everything, which of course is when mishaps (big or small) happen and which meant that even little set-backs caused a ripple effect of problems. He was the sort of person who would be beavering away at his work computer to meet a deadline (probably one extended from its original...) and then, while flummoxing along in a stress, would somehow manage to delete the spreadsheet instead of uploading it to the server.
And, crucially, he never learned any lessons from any of this or took on board that there was a need to change. He also had a real chip-on-the-shoulder mentality that everyone and everything was against him and that people suggesting he manage his time better, or not be driving across the country at 3am on a weeknight because of clashing personal and professional commitments and then over-sleeping and being later for work, were being unreasonable. Of course given the fact that he was a lightning conductor for bad luck, drama and hassle, you can see how that attitude might develop, but I also really wonder which came first.
It's been years since I worked with him and we've both drifted off to different employers but still in the same field; we still have mutual acquaintances and on the grapevine it seems that he is exactly the same.
I know a girl from years back cousin of a mate of mine, year or two older than me, loved to go round when she was at his house, her dad was a proper laugh and she was very appealing.
Anyway, her FB posts usually involve illness, car crashes, other car disasters, conflict with neighbours/various kids and their parents and the untimely death of pets, then those random "I hate false people, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE !" type posts.
Seems to have calmed down recently but was seemingly every day, and her cronies would do the "You ok hun" bks, sometimes if you are at the centre of loads of agro you have to ask if its bad luck or possibly self inflicted, always just immediately siding with someone because you know them is disingenuous, or maybe they are that thick ?
Anyway, her FB posts usually involve illness, car crashes, other car disasters, conflict with neighbours/various kids and their parents and the untimely death of pets, then those random "I hate false people, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE !" type posts.
Seems to have calmed down recently but was seemingly every day, and her cronies would do the "You ok hun" b
ks, sometimes if you are at the centre of loads of agro you have to ask if its bad luck or possibly self inflicted, always just immediately siding with someone because you know them is disingenuous, or maybe they are that thick ?Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff