When my children were young, I did my best to hold firm when they repeatedly asked for that sweet treat right before dinner. I quickly learned that my first answer should always be my last answer. Why? Very simply, if my children sense the slightest chance that I would change my mind, they would whine relentlessly in hopes of a “long shot”. Even at an early age, we are all gamblers.

As adults, we often take unreasonable risks – some large and some small. Whether to claim the “prize” or to avoid potential loss, this risk-taking behavior is more tempting as the reward increases. Psychologists have studied this type of behavior for decades. Jumping into dangerous waters to save a drowning victim – only to have subsequent rescuers jump in to accomplish the same unlikely feat – is a classic example of how we judge that a large reward somehow justifies an unreasonable risk.

Nature made us and at our death we will be reabsorbed into nature. We are at home in nature and in our bodies. This is where we belong. This is the only place where we can find and make our paradise, not in some imaginary world on the other side of the grave. If nature is the only paradise, then separation from nature is the only hell. By nature, gambling is an extremely popular social event anyway, with different games aimed towards different generations. For older generations, for example, heading to bingo with their friends may be one of the only opportunities they have to socialize all week. The gambling proclivity is doubtfully to be classed as a feature belonging exclusively to the predatory type of human nature. The chief factor in the gambling habit is the belief in luck; and this belief is apparently traceable, at least in its elements, to a stage in human evolution antedating the predatory culture.

To a lesser extent, we gamble everyday. We might text while driving. We might eat too much of the wrong foods. We might lead a sedentary life. We might disregard routine health maintenance. In essence, we often overestimate the reward or underestimate the risk. Anything that jeopardizes the reward of good health is an unreasonable risk.

We have picked nine of our favorite gambling quotes and listed them below, along with some details about the people that made them and our take on what they mean. These quotes stand out for us as they either contain excellent advice or are great reflections of what gambling is all about.

This is a quote from Baltasar Gracián y Morales, a 17th century philosopher. We like it because, several hundred years later, it remains one of the single best pieces of gambling advice. If you can learn to quit when you are ahead, then you have an excellent chance of being a successful gambler.

This is an Irish proverb which highlights one of the biggest mistakes a gambler can make: chasing losses. In the same way that you have to know when to quit when you are ahead, there’s also a time to cut your losses and quit.

Gambling Human Nature Facts

Gambling Human Nature Definition

For many gamblers, this quote neatly sums why they gamble. It’s not just about the money itself, it’s the joy of winning it. The quote was from the movie The Color of Money, said by the character Fast Eddie Felson – played by Paul Newman.

Andrew Beyer highlighted one of the biggest failings of gamblers in this quote: letting emotions cloud judgment. Beyer was an expert on horse racing betting, writing four books on the subject. He also designed the Beyer Speed Figure, a system for rating Thoroughbred racehorses.

The origins of this proverb aren’t entirely clear. It’s a simple statement but entirely true. If a horse you have bet on wins, you’ll always wish you had bet more on it. The premise applies to any form of gambling.

Really, this quote could apply to life in general. It was actually made in the context of poker, by Steve Badger. Badger owned one of the first, and best, websites dedicated to educating poker players. In this quote he’s pointing out that if you think you know it all you are sadly mistaken.

Gambling Human Nature Meaning

This is from poker player V. P. Pappy. We could pick a number of quotes from him as he’s made several great ones, but this is probably our favorite in terms of the advice it contains. He is making the excellent point that good money management is absolutely essential to successful gambling.

Gambling Human Nature Book

This quote is from the James Bond book (and movie) Casino Royale, written by Ian Fleming. It emphasizes a mistake that many gamblers make: blaming bad luck instead of trying to work if they made a bad play or bet.

Something of a tongue in cheek quote this one, from Jack Yelton. He is essentially highlighting the fact that you are likely to lose money playing casino games. He’s right of course; the house does have an edge over the long term.

That doesn’t mean that casino games should be avoided at all costs, as they are great fun and it’s possible to win money if you get lucky. It’s just important to recognize that the odds are ultimately against you.