Good Luck and 'Ganbatte'
Written by John Rozewicki   
Monday, 09 October 2006

On Wishing Well

This week about marks the halfway point of the semester, and that means mid-terms for many of you out there. But whether or not a paper or a test is the current bane of your existence, youve probably used the phrase ‘good luck' to wish someone well on their mid-term. That's a considerate thing to do, and you should be thanked for your thoughtfulness. But, I can almost guarantee that you didn't mean it literally when you said it. When you take it literally, wishing someone luck is a fairly condescending thing to do. 'Good luck' implies that they are not in control of the outcome of their life, their destiny, and more importantly, their mid-term. You're completely disregarding any preparation they may have done in favor of some vague hope in something that hasn't been proven to exist, let alone proven to work. Even if luck does exist, you can't count on it. So for all intents and purposes it has no impact. Most people would do well to simply behave as if it's not there. This means you work hard no matter what. When there are setbacks you're never put into as bad of a position as you might have been, and when you reap unplanned rewards it puts you in a position that's even better. The highs are higher than you ever dreamed of or planned for, and the lows are never as low they could be. Personally, I wouldn't want someone wishing me good luck. I work hard. If I have to rely on luck, it means that I've made a mistake somewhere in the planning or the execution. Simply bringing everything down to luck means there's no way to confront and learn from these mistakes. I'd rather learn from my mistakes and do better in the future, than stumble through life never getting ahead and never accepting responsibility.

Wishing Luck in Other Cultures

An interesting fact is that the Japanese don't say 'good luck' in the same way we do. They have a ritualized expression that can be roughly translated and understood as 'good luck', but it has a different flavor entirely; it means almost the exact opposite. The Japanese word 'ãŒã‚“ã°ã‚Šã¾ã™' (pronounced gon-bar-ee-mas) means to work hard, to strive, and to have stoicism in the face of challenges. They do not minimize the role their actions play in determining the outcome. This is the embodiment of the 'behave as if luck doesn't exist' strategy. I won't hold it against you if you don't, but next time you're wanting to wish someone well on their mid-term you might consider using 'ganbarimasu' instead of minimizing someone's control over their own destiny by saying 'good luck.' Unless of course, they haven't studied and are planning on filling out their scantron sheet so as to make an amusing picture on their test. They might very well need luck in that case.
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