You’re more likely to be struck by lightning. You’re more likely to be eaten by sharks. You’re more likely to score a royal flush in your first hand of poker. And on and on it goes. Basically, it’s scientifically proven that playing the lottery is a waste of money. So... why do it?
Every week, I play the lottery, and I have for years. I don’t plan on breaking this habit, either, even though I know that it’s essentially statistically impossible for me to win, and so the $2 I spend is a loss from the get-go. I’ve gotten some strange looks from friends and others when they find out I play or notice the tickets in my wallet. People are often surprised, and in some cases, disapproving-- playing the lottery has something of a taboo about it!
But for me, it’s not about the odds that I might not win-- it’s about the fact that I definitely can’t win if I don’t play. Let me explain.
Lady Luck
When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to have my great-grandmother living in the same building, on the same floor, as my family. She was a wonderful person, full of life, dreams, and spunk. Often, she would take me with her into the city to go to work, or to the circus, or the park. On the way home, we would almost always stop in at a candy store or bodega, and without fail, she would buy 5 tickets. She would strategically get a few scratch-offs for us to try on the subway home and have some instant fun, while the others would be for the weekly drawing to win the big bucks.
But while her lottery-ticket-buying was a fun and lighthearted amusement, my great-grandmother’s motivation wasn’t really about “fun.” On the contrary, her real perspective on playing the lottery came from a place of love and selfless interest in other people.
My Great Grandmother when she was younger
Make Someone Happy
Playing the scratch-off tickets together on the subway, we would name a family member for each shot at the prize and scratch off the foil in that person’s honor; there were a lot of names she went through because she had 6 of her own children who had many children of her own!
Saving the tickets for the big drawing, she would tell me all about her plans for the money, should she ever win. Like the scratch-offs, she had a loved one in mind for every piece of that potential pie. Sitting there with me, her oldest great-grandchild, she would tell me her grandiose dreams and plans for sharing out the winnings-- how much she would give to each child, each grandchild, and each great-grandchild.
At that age, I would always try to bargain with her for a bigger share! But looking back, I can’t remember her ever talking much about her own share, what she wanted out of the lottery jackpot. The most she ever said was that she would like to take a nice, long vacation and bring everyone along with her. It really wasn’t about her: it was about taking care of her family and giving them something amazing. That was her fantasy.
The Odds Are in Your Favor
So, is it worth it to play the lottery, or not? It all depends on your perspective and what you hope to get out of it. With that in mind, here are a few benefits that I have found, thanks to the example of my great-grandmother.
1. Unrealistic Optimism… Is Still Optimism
Sure, there’s an infinitesimal chance that you’ll win the lottery. There’s also an infinitesimal chance that a kid who wants to be an astronaut, or Olympian, or President, will actually achieve those goals. And it takes a lot more work and investment to attempt a goal like that than it does to grab a few lotto tickets next time you’re in the gas station! I’m not at all disparaging the idea of setting real, difficult, and complex goals. Those kinds of goals are important and give life direction and meaning. I’m only pointing out that having an “impossible dream” like winning the lottery can be uplifting, and optimistic, while also being easy and fun to invest in.
2. Consistent Failure Is an Opportunity
Although this concept might seem counterintuitive, it’s nevertheless a basic fact that experiencing consistent failure can lead to great personal growth. I’ve noted this while teaching my daughter to code. By failing on a regular basis, you have the opportunity to basically learn to be a good loser on an expert level. This means accepting failure with dignity, with a smile, and with a sense of humor. That mentality is hard to build if you don’t give yourself room to exercise it! I believe that playing the lottery offers a simple, and even silly, path to building this important mindset.
3. Play Hard, Work Harder
Another interesting aspect of playing the lottery is that, naturally, you spend some dedicated time on a regular basis thinking about your ideal future. If you had unlimited funds, what would you do? In my grandmother’s case, she wanted to do something simple and profound: help her family, and make them happy.
While those who oppose the lottery can rightly point to the fact that it may inspire discontentment in some people, I find that it can also be a spur to working harder and achieving more. By spending time envisioning great outcomes for myself and those I care about, I’m inspired to seek those outcomes in more ways than just buying a few scratch-offs. I also realize that those outcomes can be within my reach if I work creatively, persistently, and intelligently at my own projects. Those outcomes are more realistic if I support my wife, children, and other loved ones in their own goals, as well.
4. Risky Business
It might hurt a little bit to lose the two bucks on a non-winning lottery ticket. It hurts more to win, say, a hundred on a scratch-off, and then lose it all again over the next few weeks or months because all of the other tickets were duds. But these micro-risks and losses are helpful because they acclimate you to risk-taking and loss in general. When you’re willing to go out on a fairly safe limb, it makes it easier to step out on a slightly bigger one as well. I like to think that a little indulgence in the lottery is also a way of keeping my mindset a bit more open.
I play the lotto once a week and usually buy them when I get gas
Dream a Little (or Big) Dream
My great-grandmother played the lottery religiously until she was no longer able to get out and about. And even then, she would persuade the people helping her to get her a few tickets. Until she passed a few years ago (she was 101!), this was a consistent practice of hers, and she ingrained it in me. In fact, she made me swear that, whether she were in this life or the next, I would always play the lottery and buy an extra ticket for her. The condition was that if I won, I would fulfill her dream and divide the winnings with the family.
And that’s what playing the lottery has come to mean to me. It’s not about anxiously trying to beat the odds. It’s about the dream, and keeping that alive. It’s about making a little investment that could come back big and allow you to give to others on a grand scale. It’s about positivity even when you almost always lose, and about being charitable even as you pursue “the win.”
So when I buy a lottery ticket, I go ahead and get an extra one for her, even though she’s no longer here. And I keep an open mind as I play the game - after all, you never know.
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