armchair pop-psy: a beginner's guide

I use a metaphor to investigate patterns in life. It goes like this: If you are struck by lightning once, it's a miracle really. A one in a million. Chalk it up to bad luck or bad circumstances, either/or. If you are struck by lightning twice...wow! What are the odds? You are possibly the most unlucky person to have ever walked the earth. Struck a third time, a fourth? Time to call the Guinness Book my friend... but in the future you might want to reconsider your habit of laying underneath oak trees on the beach (wearing that copper full-body armor you fancy so much) during lightning storms.

I don't usually go in for causation/correlation self-deterministic, new-agey nonsense, but the metaphor is pretty handy at separating out the you-been-fucked wheat from you-fucked-up chaff... Just got dumped by the love of your life? You know, the person who called you "emotionally immature" while slamming the door on your face? You, pal, have been fucked. Just got dumped by the SIXTH consecutive person to call you "emotionally immature" while slamming the door in your face? Hard call, right? No! You fucked up. You keep fucking up apparently. You should not be allowed to date. Now go sit in your cubbie and think about what you've done.