Ever had one of those days where everything just seems to go wrong? I had one this week. Bad news on various small things all adding up to a very frustrating day. Nothing I could put my finger on, but consistent poor fortune.
And then I remembered what my godfather once told me many years ago. He was one of the most intelligent man I ever met, a scientist by training and I think some kind of consulting engineer. He built model steam engines as a hobby. Anyway he said it’s all about biorhythms. According to the theory of biorhythms, a person's life is influenced by rhythmic biological cycles that affect his or her ability in various domains, such as mental, physical and emotional activity (Wikipedia).
He said that some days if your biorhythms were at a low point in the cycle then you had the sort of day I experienced. However there seems to be some scepticism in the scientific world and Wikipedia also describes biorhythms as a “pseudoscience”.
Peter J. Bentley, computer scientist and author of Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day, said that Yes, and it's our fault, I'm afraid! The statistics show that people who believe in bad luck will have more accidents on Friday the 13th. Those who have a negative attitude are more likely to endow normal little mishaps with some mystical significance.
Still I can’t help feeling there may be more to it! As it’s Wimbledon week here’s a quote from the American entertainer Virginia Graham that puts the subject nicely into perspective: Good shot, bad luck and hell are the five basic words to be used in a game of tennis, though these, of course, can be slightly amplified.
As anyone who plays cards will tell you on any given day you either get the run of the cards or you don’t. So whether or not there is any scientific basis for bad days they surely happen and perhaps the best advice is to recognise them for what they are and keep your head down and a law profile until they are over.
And then I remembered what my godfather once told me many years ago. He was one of the most intelligent man I ever met, a scientist by training and I think some kind of consulting engineer. He built model steam engines as a hobby. Anyway he said it’s all about biorhythms. According to the theory of biorhythms, a person's life is influenced by rhythmic biological cycles that affect his or her ability in various domains, such as mental, physical and emotional activity (Wikipedia).
He said that some days if your biorhythms were at a low point in the cycle then you had the sort of day I experienced. However there seems to be some scepticism in the scientific world and Wikipedia also describes biorhythms as a “pseudoscience”.
Peter J. Bentley, computer scientist and author of Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day, said that Yes, and it's our fault, I'm afraid! The statistics show that people who believe in bad luck will have more accidents on Friday the 13th. Those who have a negative attitude are more likely to endow normal little mishaps with some mystical significance.
Still I can’t help feeling there may be more to it! As it’s Wimbledon week here’s a quote from the American entertainer Virginia Graham that puts the subject nicely into perspective: Good shot, bad luck and hell are the five basic words to be used in a game of tennis, though these, of course, can be slightly amplified.
As anyone who plays cards will tell you on any given day you either get the run of the cards or you don’t. So whether or not there is any scientific basis for bad days they surely happen and perhaps the best advice is to recognise them for what they are and keep your head down and a law profile until they are over.
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