5 ms·

Some people only win big in the last few years of their long life. Were they idiots for not quitting?

esrauch 9y ago
In some cases, definitely. Some people play the lottery their entire lives and win in the last few years of their long lives. They were still wrong for not quitting, even though they happened to get their pay out.
- simonh 9y ago
  Some people I know that play the lottery just view it as entertainment. It's not really for me, but I can see their point.
  - coldtea 9y ago
    Obviously it's not entertainment in any concrete form. It just takes 1 minute every week or so to play the lottery, and that's about it. It's wishful thinking and daydreaming more than entertainment.
    - emiliobumachar 9y ago
      Daydreaming is a form of entertainment. They take a minute a week to play, but can take hours imagining - or discussing with others - what they'll do if they win. I wouldn't recommend it, but I can understand it.
- ZenoArrow 9y ago
  > "They were still wrong for not quitting, even though they happened to get their pay out." That makes no sense. When someone plays the lottery they don't put their life on hold until they win. Nobody seriously plans their life around a big lottery win, most people just play it for fun, the feeling of anticipation just before the draw. After a draw takes place and they've not won, they just go back to whatever plans they had before. Gambling addiction is more serious, but many people are casual gamblers, including those that play the lottery every week. I don't play the lottery often, but I can see for most people it's a harmless activity.
  - stormbrew 9y ago
    There are definitely people out there who spend large sums of money on lottery tickets or scratch cards they probably shouldn't be buying and consider it their retirement plan. Many of them have no other viable path to an actual retirement, many just don't know any better. But they do exist.
  - coldtea 9y ago
    >That makes no sense. When someone plays the lottery they don't put their life on hold until they win. Nobody seriously plans their life around a big lottery win You'd be surprised. Especially if we expand the "lottery" to cover betting (horses, etc), gambling, and such stuff.
- rxhernandez 9y ago
  Obviously we can find a few cases that are the exception to just about any subject above physics. I was also hoping that, on a place as entrepreneurial as hacker news, I wouldn't have to explicitly exclude big wins where your chances of winning don't substantially increase with increases in experience. Nor did I think I would have to explicitly include things that take up less than a percent of a percent of your life.
frobozz 9y ago
Those people didn't "never win" did they?
coldtea 9y ago
Depends on the opportunity cost. If they could have much better results putting that energy to another use, then, yes, simplistically we can say that they are idiots.
jondubois 9y ago
Totally worth it. They'll be able to afford that gold-plated coffin they always wanted.
- morganvachon 9y ago
  Often it's the journey, not the destination, that holds the most fulfillment.
- zipppy 9y ago
  Winning isn't strictly about money.

In some cases, definitely. Some people play the lottery their entire lives and win in the last few years of their long lives. They were still wrong for not quitting, even though they happened to get their pay out.

simonh 9y ago
Some people I know that play the lottery just view it as entertainment. It's not really for me, but I can see their point.
- coldtea 9y ago
  Obviously it's not entertainment in any concrete form. It just takes 1 minute every week or so to play the lottery, and that's about it. It's wishful thinking and daydreaming more than entertainment.
  - emiliobumachar 9y ago
    Daydreaming is a form of entertainment. They take a minute a week to play, but can take hours imagining - or discussing with others - what they'll do if they win. I wouldn't recommend it, but I can understand it.
ZenoArrow 9y ago
> "They were still wrong for not quitting, even though they happened to get their pay out." That makes no sense. When someone plays the lottery they don't put their life on hold until they win. Nobody seriously plans their life around a big lottery win, most people just play it for fun, the feeling of anticipation just before the draw. After a draw takes place and they've not won, they just go back to whatever plans they had before. Gambling addiction is more serious, but many people are casual gamblers, including those that play the lottery every week. I don't play the lottery often, but I can see for most people it's a harmless activity.
- stormbrew 9y ago
  There are definitely people out there who spend large sums of money on lottery tickets or scratch cards they probably shouldn't be buying and consider it their retirement plan. Many of them have no other viable path to an actual retirement, many just don't know any better. But they do exist.
- coldtea 9y ago
  >That makes no sense. When someone plays the lottery they don't put their life on hold until they win. Nobody seriously plans their life around a big lottery win You'd be surprised. Especially if we expand the "lottery" to cover betting (horses, etc), gambling, and such stuff.
rxhernandez 9y ago
Obviously we can find a few cases that are the exception to just about any subject above physics. I was also hoping that, on a place as entrepreneurial as hacker news, I wouldn't have to explicitly exclude big wins where your chances of winning don't substantially increase with increases in experience. Nor did I think I would have to explicitly include things that take up less than a percent of a percent of your life.

frobozz 9y ago

Those people didn't "never win" did they?

coldtea 9y ago

Depends on the opportunity cost. If they could have much better results putting that energy to another use, then, yes, simplistically we can say that they are idiots.

jondubois 9y ago

Totally worth it. They'll be able to afford that gold-plated coffin they always wanted.

morganvachon 9y ago
Often it's the journey, not the destination, that holds the most fulfillment.
zipppy 9y ago
Winning isn't strictly about money.