Like it or not, we're all a little superstitious. It's not
necessarily a bad thing—research shows that leaving things to
chance and luck can enhance performance, increase productivity,
and reduce stress. As writer Eric Barker explains, being lucky
isn't completely beyond our control. Fundamentally, your brain
doesn't like or want to believe in randomness. It always
believes you have some control, even when you don't. For
instance, craps players throw dice less forcefully when they
want low numbers, as if that will make a difference:
Nonetheless, many studies have shown that gamblers will bet more
and continue gambling longer if they do have a personal role in
these fundamentally random events. In some cases, this even
affects the style of the particular actions involved in the
game. For example, craps players tend to throw the dice with
less force when trying to roll low numbers. (Via The Compass of
Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise,
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