This week about marks the halfway point of the semester, and that means midterms for many of you out there. But whether or not a paper or a test is the current bane of your existence, you've probably used the phrase 'good luck' to wish someone well on his or her midterm. 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 others luck is a fairly condescending thing to do. 'Good luck' implies that they are not in control of the outcome of their lives, their destinies, and more importantly, their midterms. 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 as 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.
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 "ganbarimasu" - pronounced gon-bar-ee-mas - means to work hard, to strive, and to have adversity and stoicism in the face of challenges.
The Japanese 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 the next time you're wanting to wish someone well on their midterm you might consider using "ganbarimasu" instead of minimizing someone's control over his or her 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.
John Rozewicki is a junior telecommunications and Japanese major and writes 'Supreme Narcissism' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to John Rozewicki at jjrozewicki@notarrogant.com.
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