Posted on 02/15/2006 7:12:58 AM PST by grundle
"Obviously, people will focus on people who win," said John Allen Paulos, a Temple University mathematician. "All the same dumb sticks who did the same thing [and lost] are invisible."
Author of a bestselling book, "Innumeracy," Paulos says lotteries have always owed their appeal to people's loose grip of math.
Paulos recalled a line from Voltaire: "Lotteries are a tax on stupidity."
Paulos once tore up a Powerball ticket on the eve of a drawing in front of an audience. "They all gasped as if I just slashed the Mona Lisa," he said.
To a mathematician, the lottery is a game where those who don't play have essentially the same odds of winning as those who do -- none.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I see why so many lottery winners have problems. They have low self-esteem because they feel that they have not earned what they have. This is similar to how the children of wealthy parents feel. They feel that they are unworthy and undeserving of the financial comfort that they have.
LOLOL
Post #86 well said. There's nothing wrong with lotteries, IMO. Even the Founders held lotteries to raise money for the Continental Army. Bet not many FReepers knew that.
Ain't it the truth!
My second cousins are connected to Microsoft money and quite wealthy. If they can handle $100 million, I sure as hell can.
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