Don’t panic! James Bond isn’t going to die.
Why there’s no need to catastrophise about Bond… or your betting.
I sincerely hope this isn’t a spoiler for all the film fans out there…
But at the time of writing James Bond is, at best, missing in action. But quite probably presumed dead.
Sorry to break the news with such a poor bedside manner.
I mean we don’t know for sure…
But as the credits rolled, Daniel Craig looked to be in a serious spot of bother at the end of 2021’s “No Time To Die”.
However, until we see the next film in the James Bond series, we don’t know with any certainty what will happen to MI5’s finest – which gives me the opportunity, for now, to use his up-to-this-point immortality in the following betting analogy.
So here goes…
James Bond isn’t going to die.
That’s my opening gambit.
Well, he certainly didn’t in the first 24 films of the franchise.
And for a man who has been attacked by all manner of henchmen, bitten by snakes/spiders, almost fed to crocodiles, nearly cremated, just about cut in two by a laser, chained to a bomb (more than once).. that’s some achievement.
Somehow Bond always manages to save the day. And get the girl.
It happens every single time. Despite the continual danger that seems to surround him 24 hours a day, Bond never fails to get out of trouble.
So do we as viewers ever think, despite all the peril Bond faces, that he’s ever going to succumb to Blofeld, Drax or Le Chiffre?
No, we don’t.
Despite the tightest of tight spots into which Commander Bond is placed, there’s always a way back for the former Skyfall resident…
And, more to the point, watching these films, we always know, whatever the situation, that he will complete the mission. It’s never in doubt.
Same goes for the rest of the current crop of movie invincibles – John Wick, Jason Bourne, Ethan Hunt – they too are similarly indestructible, no matter how heavily the odds are stacked against them.
But time and again, regardless of the level of threat, these guys come out winning.
So here’s the thing…
Despite all the heart-in-the-mouth moments writers create…
No matter how many cliffhangers directors throw at us…
Consciously or sub-consciously, as viewers, we know it’ll be alright in the end.
James Bond isn’t going to die. He will defeat the baddies.
He will win.
Now look at it in terms of betting…
Within each film, take each example where our hero is in mortal danger as representing a losing run in your betting.
Because the two have much in common.
They’re something we don’t enjoy or want to experience – if we can help it.
They’re highly stressful – we don’t want to encounter them too often, if at all.
And they threaten our existence – or the existence of our betting bank!!
Both we could class as “low points”, and things we would much rather avoid… or if we do encounter them, overcome and remove ourselves from as quickly as is humanly possible.
But in the same way that Bond always wins at the end of each film…
Despite the losing runs we face in our betting (our version of an unscheduled meeting with Jaws or Odd Job), we come back in just the same way…
… and end up winning just like 007.
So just as nobody walks out of the cinema when James Bond is locked in a shark tank, expecting the worst, why should you as a backer give up whenever you’re faced with a comparable test of your own character and resourcefulness.
Because if you think all losing runs are terminal, by the same token you would believe that Bond was doomed as well. And he’s not.
So don’t catastrophise!!
If you don’t know the word… “catastrophising” is a tendency in someone to assume the worst will happen when looking ahead to the future – even if the current evidence doesn’t necessarily support this view.
And those of us who watch films don’t catastrophise – otherwise we’d expect our hero to die five times in every movie (and presumably be disappointed when he doesn’t).
We know our hero will come out on top.
So why do we react in such a way after a few losers with a service, or a poor month?
The long-term trends don’t suggest this dip in form is the beginning of the end, more a period of variance in the results.
We fight back and win (profit) in the same wasy our orphaned hero sends Rosa Klebb on her merry way.
In short, be more Bond and live/bet forever.
OPINION: To summarise my argument, our betting journey, whether we choose to back our own judgement, or follow the advice of a tipster or advisory service, will have its ups and downs. Good days and bad. Just like one minute James Bond will be downing vodka martinis, the next he’ll be ambushed by Bambi & Thumper. But if we take on board 007’s long-term record of successfully completing all missions up to this point (we’ll see what happens to him next), then deep-down we know he’ll always overcome whatever setback befalls him. Just like any proven, successful service will recover whenever its faced with an unwanted test of its robustness and resilience.
