How would you react when someone shares with you information that leaves you tongue-tied? Perhaps, they just encountered an unpleasant event and thought it wise to inform you about it.
That is likely what defines the term “Hard Luck”.
In this situation, responding to the person after they’re done with their narration is a viable way of showing solidarity.
Consequently, you might try to recount your bad experiences as a way of comforting the person. Trust me, it doesn’t make things easier.
Since the occurrence is that of a bad event, it is only wise to sound sympathetic with your response. I’ll be discussing in detail what hard luck means and how to respond to the situation. Stay locked in!
Hard Luck Meaning
The term “hard luck” is used to define an event relating to, marked by, or even experiencing difficulty or bad luck.
This means that hard luck is associated with unpleasantness, and in which sympathy is highly advocated.
A good example of this can be illustrated when someone gets into a fight with someone stronger than him and still doesn’t win…you can instantaneously say that the person encountered hard luck.
This is because the odds of winning the ruffle are low and they still failed. For this, you can only sympathize with the person and not make them feel worse.
Hard luck use in a sentence
- Jay still lost the impossible fight with Dan. What hard luck!
On another note, the term doesn’t only talk about the bad event but your show of sympathy. Hence, you’re going easy on the person as a result of them being a victim of a slight bad occurrence.
- You didn’t deserve such bad luck. Ring me if you need any help
A different approach to what the term means can be seen when it is used to refer to someone who seems laden with lots of bad luck and trouble.
In this case, the term can even be used to shade someone or play the role of a comeback phrase.
- Although the ocean tides are low, you still won’t beat them. You’re hard luck and it is evident in your inability to do so.
Coming to the history behind the word, Merriam-Webster recounted that the word was first used in 1890 and has been employed in different literary works since then.
How to Respond to Hard Luck Story?
The best thing you can do for a person who just encountered hard luck is to be reasonable and considerate of their condition.
And you can only achieve that through being sympathetic and loving. Showing the person that you care does better work in rejuvenating him or her than trying to relate with them using your bad experiences as case studies.
Almost everyone has had it hard with life and trying to measure your level of difficulty with that of the person narrating to you doesn’t make sense.
You’re not in any way helping them recover, instead, you’re further subjecting them to more pain and misery.
To help you salvage the moment and offer a better perspective, I’ve curated a list of the 19 best ways to respond to a hard luck story.
Here are the 19 of the best replies for “Hard Luck”
- My heart goes out to you
- How are you coping then?
- That sounds awful
- Do you mind discussing what happened?
- I’m sorry about that
- The experience sure took a huge tow on you. How can I be of help?
- Don’t hesitate to reach out to me for support
- I’m happy you’re recovering swiftly
- I’ll always be here to throw my shoulders behind you
- Let’s get you to a therapist right away
- You surely deserve better
- You’ve always been tough and hopefully, this won’t break you
- You shall rise once more, he hopeful
- I’m sorry things turned out this way
- Please, accept my deepest condolences
- Don’t keep yourself from feeling bad. It’ll help release the bad energy when you’re done
- Just know you’re not mourning alone in this
- It’s okay to feel vulnerable, especially in this period, so don’t hold it back
- It’s time to regret your actions, it prepares you for a better understanding
My Heart Goes Out to You
This line of response clearly shows that you’re feeling sympathetic for the person who related a hard luck story to you.
Ask such, it is in line with the criteria which I made for a good response to a hard luck story.
The response posits that you’re emotionally perturbed by the story and you’re showing solidarity to the person for the bad event.
Perhaps, he or she lost a loved one on such short notice and it broke their frame so much that they feel stuck.
How Are You Coping Then?
Although it sounds a bit off to ask a grieving person question; you can go ahead with that to show how deeply you care about them.
This question-like response does just that with the sole purpose of discovering how the person is recovering amidst the bad happening.
This will communicate to the person that you’re truly concerned about them and want to know how they’re surviving the difficulty.
He or she could open up to you because the question also feels like a proposition of assistance.
That is to say, you can come up with a more efficient way for them to cope if they’re not doing well already.
That Sounds Awful
Don’t try to cover the impact of the event when someone tells you about a difficulty they’ve passed through or are still passing through. You can relieve the pain or weight of the problem by facing it in real life.
To that end, you can use this line to qualify how severe the person’s tribulations are.
This tells the person that you’re observant enough to identify that they’re passing through a lot, instead of coating everything with nice words.
Do You Mind Discussing What Happened?
Another way you can reply to a hard luck story is to try to get the person to talk about what happened.
It may sound manipulative, but a problem shared is half solved. It wouldn’t be helpful if the person keeps bottling things up as it can result in a heavy-laden heart.
Getting the person to talk can help them get the difficulty out of their mind. It’ll help them find practical solutions to their problems by looking inwardly. To do this, you need a response strategy such as this one.
I’m Sorry About That
Saying sorry is another format of sympathizing with someone that can work magic. It helps the person who experienced the bad event to understand that you care about them and how they feel.
Even if you weren’t the cause of the problem, you can say sorry to help release the tension and pain.
The Experience Sure Took a Huge Tow on You. How Can I Be of Help?
Don’t only form a pity party for the person who told you a hard luck story, but also try to extend a hand of help.
There’s no hard task to this, as all you need is to ask and you’ll get obliged by the person or they turn it down.
But there’s a high chance they’ll tell you how to help them out because it could be a desperate time for them.
You can use this line of response to do just that, as well as, try to recount the effect of the experience on the person.
Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out to Me for Support
I know many people who find it hard to cry out for help. I also shy away from that but only give in when the difficulty becomes unbearable.
If the person that told you the hard luck story is like this, you can try to persuade them to come out of their shell by using this line of response.
I’m Happy You’re Recovering Swiftly
Hope brings life to virtually anything. It creates an atmosphere of success and triumph. Hence, you can bring in the light of hope through your response to a person’s hard luck story.
You can achieve that with this reply, as it also reignites them to do better and leave the bad experience behind.
I’ll Always Be Here to Throw My Shoulders behind You
You can try to assure the person of your support with this line of response. This does one thing; it tells the person that you’re out for them. I’m sure the person will feel nothing but love when you reply with this.
Let’s Get You to a Therapist Right Away
In some cases, it’s not even necessary to ask the person for their permission before you extend a hand of assistance to them.
You can dive right into the whole recovery process for them even before they give it a thought.
It shows how much you want them to get better. The person will even feel great at the thought that someone wants good for them.
It could be he or she suffered from a heartbreak which later transitioned into an addiction to drugs, and they’re now in a very bad state. Suggesting a visit to a therapist would bring hope to the person.
You Surely Deserve Better
This line is another way in which you can assure the person that more good things will still happen in their life.
Telling them that they deserve is also a way of encouraging them to stay alive as they still have better luck in the future.
You’ve Always Been Tough and Hopefully, This Won’t Break You
How about you try to commend the person for being a strong person already? This will surely help to boost their self-confidence, and also keep them at bay without breaking down completely.
This line of response tells them this and also conveys the message of hope to them.
The hope here is the assurance that they’ll not break since they already have a strong frame that can take on a circumstance.
You Shall Rise Once More, He Hopeful
This line in response is another message of hope and optimism to the person you’re replying to.
The hardest luck stories often leave the victim without an ounce of hope in them, but you can be that light they’re looking forward to by making them feel optimistic using this line of response.
I’m Sorry Things Turned out This Way
If you want to sympathize with someone, don’t make the mistake of recounting your problems. Just say sorry and head in with your life if you don’t want to go into details.
You can escape that temptation of going into details by using this as a response.
Please, Accept My Deepest Condolences
If the hard luck story which you were told concerned the demise of a loved one, you can offer solace to the bereaved person using this line of response.
This shows that you’re sending a message of condolence to the person, which is the traditional way of sympathizing in such a case.
Don’t Keep Yourself From Feeling Bad. It’ll Help Release the Bad Energy When You’re Done
I find it hard to run out of options, as I’m always pumped with solutions to problems.
You can be like me by employing this line of response. The person how to deal with their ills and bad moments.
Just Know you’re Not Mourning Alone in This
You can also let the person know that you’re with them every step of the way. It may be a rough ride as mourning a loved one’s demise is not easy, but assuring the person that you’re mourning alongside them brings succor to their heart and soul.
It’s Okay to Feel Vulnerable, Especially in This Period, so Don’t Hold It Back
Always being the hard guy or lady is good, but when nature calls for you to break and mold again, you need to oblige it.
That’s the message of this response, so you can take it to the person when they tell you about their hard luck story.
It’s Time to Regret Your Actions, It Prepares You for a Better Understanding
Regrets can help us reevaluate where we went wrong and take blames if need be. It may appear unhealthy but it’s a good way of relieving oneself of the burdens of past experiences.
Using this response, you can let the person with the hard luck story understand the need and benefits of regrets.
Wrapping Up
Life on earth is a mixture of dualism…there’s good and bad, beauty and ugliness, life and death, and so on. Experiencing doesn’t mean you don’t stand a chance of getting the other.
On that note, someone who has a hard luck story is not forever prone to bad luck but is just passing through that phase of their life.
In the spirit of solidarity, you can use any of the replies which I’ve curated in this post to relate with the person when he or she shares with you their difficulty.
Be conscious to know which response suits the situation you’re presented with, and use it accordingly.
Kindly let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.