Be Careful What You
Wish For
Everyone
at one point in the life has been asked what would you wish for if you had a wish. Popular responses are fame, love, and of
course fortune. In today’s society, people often wish to win the lottery. They
hope the lottery will be their ticket to wealth. The lottery remains popular
despite your chances of winning the Powerball jackpot are about one
in 175.2 million. You're more likely to die from a bee sting (one in 6.1
million), be struck by lightning (one in 3 million) or have conjoined twins
(one in 200,000). However these poor odds don’t prevent people from playing. In
fact, in 2010, U.S. lottery sales totaled $58 billion. More than
half of Americans have played the lottery in the last year, although 20% of customers
buy the majority of the tickets. But, is being a lottery winner all it is
cracked up to be? Read the two articles
below and view the video. Then respond
in the comments by addressing these questions:
1.
What is your initial reaction to all three pieces?
2.
What was the most interesting thing you learned?
Why?
3.
Would you still consider playing the lottery
after hearing all of these stories? Why?
In the following article's and video, I thought they were very interesting. Winning the lottery seems like a dream to most and the way people reacted when that dream came true was unbelievable. When I watched these things, I was shocked and mistaken. The one thing that shocked me the most is how many bad things came from this "dream". Something interesting I learned from these sources is the immaturity and rudeness of other family members. I can't believe family members would really kill people they are related to just because they're so selfish. I personally think I would still buy a lottery ticket. In all of these things, they were all negative stories. What about the positive parts of it? People stereotype the lottery as being bad. There are a lot people who won the lottery that are happy. In these article's and video about winning the lottery, I would still buy lottery tickets even after hearing these unfortunate stories.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to these 3 pieces is that they were very interesting. The most interesting thing I learned was that money can't buy happiness and 50% of lottery winners aren't happy after they win. I would still take my chances with the lottery because I could be one of the 50% that are happy after winning it.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to the articles and video was very surprising. I thought that if you won the lottery your life would become instantly amazing. But it seems like it's the exact opposite. The people who are winning are becoming sad and depressed and overwhelmed it seems like. The most interesting thing I learned was that a lot of the people who won ended up dead. Either get murdered or killing themselves or someone like their granddaughter dying because of the money and what went towards it. I feel bad for the people because winning the lottery is suppose to be an exciting thing but you have to be able to handle the money in the right way. But, I do think I would still buy a lottery ticket because I would make sure to handle the money in the right way and not get ahead of myself.
ReplyDeleteThough some people may think that winning the lottery would be the best thing that could possibly happen, these articles say otherwise. Many people who are lucky enough to win millions of dollars in the lottery will regret ever buying the ticket. Their lives are changed completely and not in the way you would expect. They do have the luxury of being able to purchase whatever they'd like, but they often crack under the pressure of being asked to loan or buy for other people. I would not take the risk of buying a ticket, even if the chances of winning are slim. The most interesting fact I learned was that some of the "lucky" winners felt so pressured and nervous that they committed suicide. Winning the lottery can easily be misinterpreted, as some lives have been ruined by it.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction is surprised at the fact that people think they cant play by the rules because there rich.If you have alot of money like the people in the three pieces do then your going to spend it but the trick is to know how to manage your money. Its interesting to me how they can spend it all so fast because they have so much. I would still play the lottery after hearing all this because its money and I would try more than anything to try to buy only what I need and entertainment systems.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to all three pieces was very surprising and shocking. Most people would expect the winning lottery families to have a happy life later on, not get arrested or die. The most interesting part I learned throughout the video and two articles is how horrible families' lives have been after winning the lottery. Almost all the winners went way overboard with the money they won and either ended up broke and homeless, dead from drug overdose or suicide, or got arrested. Only about half the winners combined still have a good life to this day. I would not consider participating in the lottery anytime soon after hearing these horrible stories. Just because it might be a large amount of money doesn't mean you can't live without it.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone wins a lottery, they always say that they'll pay off loans and give it to charity, but what about the money they keep? That will most likely turn to drug money or be given away to those who ask. The most interesting part of these articles might be the fact that something that is advertised as a shortcut to happiness ends with such tragedy as common as it does. If there is a chance to win free money,,, I'll take it. That seems like the reasoning anyone who currently participates in the lottery share along with me, If I do win the lottery (unlikely) I will learn from the mistakes of the previous winners and swiftly put it in a bank account and pretend it doesn't exist. Though I might get questions on how I managed to afford 4 GTX Titans.
ReplyDeletemy first reaction to this was shocked. I couldn't believe the bad things that happened to the people that won the lottery. the most interesting thing that I found out was that the people winning the lottery are being killed by family members. why do people have to be so selfish that they would resort to killing their family to get what they want? the thing is she never got the money. why is it that even though people know bad things happen to those who win the lottery, that they still pitch thousands of dollars away so that they can win? I find this the most interesting because it just goes to show that when good things happen to those you love you still get jealous enough to kill the person so that you can have what they have. I would not play the lottery because you are throwing the money away that you need to pay for things you need, on a thing that you have a very slim chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteI was very shocked after reading and watching these over winning the lottery. People are very careless with their money once they realize they have lots of it. When you win the lottery, you should still stay the same person, you shouldn't let money change who you are. Sadly, people do change. They don't realize that the money isn't going to last forever, but they spend it on whatever they want. Then one day they do find out they have nothing left, and are filing for bankruptcy and collecting food stamps. People need to be carful on how they spend their money, no matter how much they have.
ReplyDeleteI first not that surprised because wealth can change people in a lot of ways. Your own family may want to kill you for the wealth and your friends may do the same! Some people think that the money is the best thing in the world but all of there friends will not be the same around you. If i every win the lottery i would just go into hiding until everyone forgets about it and come back to normal life.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction was very surprised but then it made sense. If I had won any amount of money like that I too would be tempted to make wrong decisions and not use my money in an efficient way. It's sad and scary what others would do to steal from you. If I saw I had the winning number I would still get the money but I would try to invest and limit my spending. I've learned that if you ever do win the lottery you need to very careful with your money and life.
ReplyDeleteif I was to ever win the lottery I would be careful who I let know that I won. I cant count how many times I have seen people win the lottery the ticket either winds up being taken or that the people have been sued over something ridiculous. I just hope that if I ever win the lottery that know one that I know tries to steal it but I would be cool to win It even if it is stolen from me. But with the money I would never have to worry about money ever again.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction is wow, I never knew how money can change people. Seeing all those people's lives destroyed because of the lottery. The most interesting thing I learned is that when people win the lottery they like having the ability to spend a lot of money so they have to spend more and more too sustain happiness. In the end I would probably try it, I wouldn't go crazy and buy drugs though. I just hope that my family and friends wouldn't go crazy if I won like all the other families did. I would put most into me and my brothers college fund. I would help pay off the bills, and I'd get myself an expensive guitar.
ReplyDeleteIn these articles and video I thought that they were very interesting. When someone win the lottery they probably don't believe they have, they think its all just a dream, but its really not. The one thing that I was shocked about was how many bad thing became in this dream. Something that was interesting was how rude these families were to other families, why would you want to kill people that you are related to? I would still buy a lottery ticket. There was no positive stories in this they were all negative. Why? People say that the lottery is a bad thing. People who have won the lottery are very happy. But i would still buy a lottery ticket today.
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the most interesting things about the lottery winners is that they don't seem to realize that the money from the lottery decreases after spending it. Only a handful of lottery winners that I read about in the articles actually realized that they should not spend it all at once in things like gambling or things that they want. I was honestly a little bit shocked at how reckless they were. I would do the lottery even though I have learned terrible things about what they have done to people. I would spend the money with more care then some of them did. Some of the winners just need to learn when to say no and to make better choices.
ReplyDeleteThere are many reactions I had while reading the first article. I felt sorry for the most part, that they must have had a big plan with all that money and now they realize how little they actually received. They don't realize that in order to keep that money, you have got to work for more money so that you don't end up bankrupt.They've also got to realize that unlike video games, there are no restart buttons. The second you waste $3 million, it is gone. Then you've got all that money and you've got all that you want. So now you decide to try drugs. Well, you've got enough money to last a life time without doing it illegally.Though that's a mouthful, I would still buy the ticket. There is plenty of reasons why, such as I have good background knowledge, I've have parents that are already teaching me how to use money wisely, and I think that it would be cool. P.S. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video I was shocked. Money changed all of their lives. All of them used drugs or had family members die because of them. They all become different people and act like that money will always be there. Once you lose all of it you won’t win again. I would not play the lottery because if you win people you don’t even know will harass you and if they don’t get there way they will try to find a way to get the money. The most interesting thing was how people can spend that much money in a matter of years and have nothing left or not even be alive anymore. The most shocking was how the family members just turned their backs on their love ones and do anything for the money.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video, i was surprised.The most interesting thing that i learned was that people can loose their lives from not knowing something good to spend their money on.I would`nt still consider playing the lottery after all of these stories because i would probably feel overwhelmed. Alot of times people who don`t have a money or just greedy people, will ask you to give them money and if people know that i won 3 million dollars, their for sure going to ask for some.I would only give money to someone i trust and someone that i know who won`t waste it on drugs or anything pointless.I will most likely never win the lottery but if i do, i`ll save as much money as i can!
ReplyDeleteI just saw how many lives change because of the lottery. I can't believe some of the things money can cause people to do. The thing that was most interesting to me was how many people's lives were ruined compared to how many people's lives were the same or happier after winning the lottery. It's strange how when you have so much money and you start to spend it, you keep spending more and more so you stay happy, but once you run out of money, you are no longer happy. I would still try the lottery though because it would be cool to win and have all that money. I would try and manage my money as best as I can and only give money to my closest family members.
ReplyDeleteI thought the three pieces were very interesting, but I think winning the lottory would be amazing. The most interesting part was when people have won the lottory turned into drug addicts and died in the following years after they have won their money. I would still play the lottory because I could start a bank account and deposit the money in a bank to gain interest. That is what I think about winning the lottory
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction was horror. I couldn't believe some of the stuff that happened to lottery winners. It made me rethink how I would spend the money If I won. I learned that the lottery doesn't always make people happy and is a good way to reveal a persons true self. I would still buy that lottery ticket I would just spend it quickly I actually won the lottery and for other reasons then to make me happy. I would help charities with money and not keep any for myself. I believe that you should earn your paycheck, not win it because if you don't work for anything, then what's your purpose in life
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ReplyDeletemy first initial reaction was i thought it was crazy. the most interesitng was the whittacker family when the grandaughter died of a drug overdose.i think i would but i would have a plan, to not tell anybody.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to reading the following articles and watching the video, I was quite shocked that there wishes turned into disaster. One thing I thought was interesting was the greedy family members of the winners. Family is family. Killing someone over money is selfish and crazy. I would most likely still participate in lottery but I think I would be able to handle the money better than the people I read about. I wouldn't be greedy over the money but I wouldn't blow it away either. Most people who win the lottery, as much as 50% end up back where they started which is very ironic. Now that I read these articles I am aware of what could happen. But that won't stop me from trying to win the lottery.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the articles and watching the video, I was shocked with the amount of people whose lives became much worse after winning the lottery. Winning the lottery caused death, greed, and selfishness for many previous winners. Family members and close friends were killing and suing each other over the money.The most interesting piece in the sources was that 50% of people weren't happy, but that also means 50% of people were happy. I would still play the lottery because of those chances.If a lottery winner managed their money and didn't spend it all at once, winning the lottery may just make their wishes come true.
ReplyDelete