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The value is in the hope it creates. As a statistician, a lottery seem hopeless. To everyone else, it's about feeling that something impossible becomes possible
by zippy5 6y ago
The value is in the hope it creates. As a statistician, a lottery seem hopeless. To everyone else, it's about feeling that something impossible becomes possible.
Tbh lottery tickets can be a pretty cheap form of hope relative to other forms of gambling. Take a look at some of RobinHood's customers who are ”investing”. The odds seemed so favorable until they realized 95% of traders lose their money.
- mD5pPxMcS6fVWKE 6y agoBut people routinely buy insurance, and it's considered a right and moral thing to do. Though the math is exactly the same as with the lottery. Statistically, odds are unfavorable. But it buys peace of mind, so people pay.
- schoen 6y agoThe insurance is given a polarity and connection to the rest of your luck in such a way that it smooths out your risks. On the other hand, playing the lottery makes your good luck spikier. (Though there are more specific ways to say it, we could say that insurance is meant to make your life less impacted by chance -- more predictable -- while insurance is meant to make it more impacted by chance -- more unpredictable.)
- schoen 6y ago(whoops, I mean "while the lottery is meant to make it more impacted by chance")