If you have scrolled on TikTok at least once in 2023 (who hasn’t? ), you’ve probably been introduced to “lucky girl syndrome”. Akin to other TikTok fads like “hot girl summer” and the “coastal grandmother aesthetic”, “lucky girl syndrome” is the phrase for people whose luck seems to always be on their side.
In one of the more viral videos, which has been viewed an impressive 4. 5 million times, TikTok user @skzzolno and her pal explain the “syndrome” and say that the practice of believing that they are “so lucky and everything works out for them” has changed their lives.
Another user, @lauragalebe, claimed that she is “one of the luckiest people” she knows, and that she gets “the most insane opportunities thrown at me out of nowhere”.
In the video, which has been viewed 2. 8 million times, Galebe added: “There is no better way to explain it than that I feel like the odds are completely in my favour. Ever since I can remember, I have always made it a point to tell everyone ‘I am so lucky’. I just always expect great things to happen to me and so they do. ”
The video has received nearly 500,000 likes, with commenters saying that this is the energy they want to bring into 2023. Some also pointed to the law of assumption, which is similar to the law of attraction (the practice made famous by The Secret), but says that we can materialise into our reality the things we assume to be true. The law of assumption was proposed by philosopher Neville Goddard, who gave a lecture on the subject in 1969.
Galebe said she wouldn’t call this practice toxic positivity, because she “genuinely believes that the best things just happen to me”.
“Try being delusional for a month and tell me if your life doesn’t change,” she concluded.
While it may not be toxic positivity, “lucky girl syndrome” is a new way for Gen Z to digest the law of assumption — and it’s rather smug. Sure, some people are lucky, and things may often work out for them, but this also comes down to another major factor: privilege.
If we look at the top videos under the #luckygirlsyndrome hashtag, which has over 64. 8 million views collectively, many of the creators spouting the syndrome are young white women, and while we don’t know their individual socioeconomic statuses, you’re more likely to be lucky when you are in a privileged position.
“There’s a whole new generation of kids on here getting indoctrinated into New Age toxic spirituality,” TikTok user Melody Walker (@melodywritessongs) said in a video, which has been viewed over 377,000 times.
“I grew up in Northern California and this s*** has just been recycled a million times,” she added, stating that it is “racist, ableist and eugenesis roots”.
“This whole ‘lucky girl syndrome’ thing is going to feed people right into the law of assumption and law of attraction, AKA think positively at all times otherwise everything is your fault,” she explained.
Users were quick to comment in agreement on the video, with one person saying the concept “felt icky”, and another writing: “I’ve been beating myself up, scared the universe will ‘punish’ me for having complicated emotions instead of being positive. Needed this breakdown. ”
Another user, @alliestartsacult, agreed that the practice was a form of “ableism”. “If you’re going to tell people with mental and physical disabilities, that absolutely cannot be changed with the power of thought, that ‘you just have to think positive’ or people who have lived in systemic oppression or have lived in systemic racism. ”
“THANKYOU! ! ! ” one user commented on Allie’s video. “My mum has untreatable cancer and it made me completely lose my faith because I thought it was my fault for not being positive enough. . ”
Another added: “Literally tried to The Secret away my ADHD for years before learning I had it. All it did was make me hate myself more. ”
While “lucky girl syndrome” can be used as a tool to help yourself think more positively, professing its success it’s not only smug, but unrealistic for many people in less privileged positions. So don’t beat yourself up if something you hoped for doesn’t go your way, it’s not your fLUCKY GIRL SYNDROME 110123LUCKY GIRL SYNDROME 110123
