We’ve all been there. You’re looking at a bank account balance that’s circling the drain, or maybe you’re staring at a "read" receipt from a crush who hasn't replied in three days. Logic tells you it’s over. The math says no. But then, that little spark of irrational hope flares up. You start thinking about that one-in-a-million shot. Honestly, the phrase so you’re saying there’s a chance has become the universal anthem for the delusional optimist in all of us.
It’s more than just a meme. It’s a cultural shorthand for those moments when the odds are stacked so high they’re basically touching the stratosphere, yet we refuse to fold our hand.
The 1994 Moment That Changed Comedy Forever
If you want to understand where this actually started, you have to go back to Dumb and Dumber. It was 1994. Jim Carrey was at the absolute peak of his rubber-faced powers. He plays Lloyd Christmas, a man whose confidence is inversely proportional to his intelligence.
There’s this specific scene where Lloyd asks Mary Swanson—a woman who is clearly out of his league and, more importantly, not interested—what the chances are of them ending up together. She tries to be let him down easy. She tells him the chances are "one in a million."
Most people would hear that and feel the soul-crushing weight of rejection. Not Lloyd. His face lights up. He gasps, "So you’re saying there’s a chance!" It’s funny because it’s a complete fundamental misunderstanding of probability. But it’s also weirdly relatable. We’ve all wanted a "one in a million" shot to be the "one" instead of the "million."
The brilliance of that line lies in its timing. It wasn't just a throwaway joke. It captured a very specific human trait: our ability to ignore overwhelming evidence in favor of a tiny sliver of hope. Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, the directors, tapped into something primal. They showed us that being a loser is fine as long as you're a loser with a dream.
Why the Meme Won’t Die
Memes usually have the lifespan of a fruit fly. They’re here, they’re annoying, and then they’re gone. But so you’re saying there’s a chance has lived on for decades. Why? Because the internet runs on irony and desperation.
Twitter (now X) and Reddit are basically fueled by this sentiment. You see it every time a sports team is down by 30 points with two minutes left on the clock. You see it in the crypto world when a "shitcoin" drops 99% in value and some guy in a Discord channel posts the Jim Carrey GIF. It’s a way of laughing at our own misfortune.
📖 Related: Why Grand Funk’s Bad Time is Secretly the Best Pop Song of the 1970s
It’s also a defensive mechanism. By saying the line, you’re acknowledging that you know you’re being ridiculous. You’re beat. You know it. Everyone knows it. But by framing it through Lloyd Christmas, you turn your failure into a bit. It’s self-deprecating humor at its finest. It takes the sting out of the "no."
The Psychology of the One-in-a-Million Shot
Psychologists actually have a name for this kind of thinking, though they don't usually cite Jim Carrey in their papers. It’s called "optimism bias." It’s the tendency for humans to believe that they are less likely to experience a negative event and more likely to experience a positive one than others.
When Mary Swanson said "one in a million," Lloyd didn't hear the "million." He only heard the "one." He focused on the numerator and completely ignored the denominator.
Mathematically speaking, a 0.000001% chance is practically zero. In the real world, we treat it as zero. If a doctor tells you there’s a one-in-a-million chance a certain medication will turn your skin blue, you don’t spend your life savings on orange makeup. But if there’s a one-in-a-million chance of winning the lottery? People line up around the block.
We are terrible at processing large numbers. Our brains aren't wired for statistics; they’re wired for stories. And the story of the underdog winning against all odds is the most powerful story we have.
Real Life "So You're Saying There's a Chance" Successes
Kinda makes you wonder, though—does the one-in-a-million shot ever actually land?
Actually, yeah. Sometimes it does.
👉 See also: Why La Mera Mera Radio is Actually Dominating Local Airwaves Right Now
Take the 2015-2016 Leicester City F.C. season. At the start of the Premier League season, bookmakers gave them 5,000-to-1 odds to win the title. To put that in perspective, those are the same odds bookies were giving for Elvis being found alive. It was literally considered an impossible joke. If you had told a fan back then that they’d win, they probably would have quoted the meme at you.
But they won.
The "chance" became a reality. Those are the stories that keep the phrase alive. We look at Leicester City, or we look at the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic hockey team, and we tell ourselves that the math doesn't matter.
Of course, for every Leicester City, there are thousands of teams that just lose exactly like the math said they would. But we don't make movies about them. We don't share GIFs of people losing predictably. We celebrate the statistical anomalies.
The Dark Side of Infinite Optimism
I'll be honest with you. This mindset isn't always a good thing.
In the world of finance, "so you’re saying there’s a chance" is a dangerous mantra. It leads to "sunk cost fallacy." This is when you keep pouring money, time, or emotion into a failing endeavor just because you’ve already invested so much. You’re waiting for that one-in-a-million turn of luck that never comes.
Think about the gambling addict at the slot machine. They aren't looking at the flashing lights and seeing a programmed algorithm designed to take their money. They’re looking for that "chance."
✨ Don't miss: Why Love Island Season 7 Episode 23 Still Feels Like a Fever Dream
There is a fine line between being a hopeful underdog and being someone who refuses to face the facts. Lloyd Christmas is a lovable moron, but in real life, his refusal to accept reality is kinda creepy. He stalks Mary across the country. He ignores her clear boundaries. The "chance" he sees is actually a delusion.
How to Use This Energy Without Ruining Your Life
So, how do you balance the "so you’re saying there’s a chance" spirit with actual logic? It’s about risk management.
If the cost of taking the chance is low, go for it. Ask for the promotion. Send the risky text. Buy the one-dollar lottery ticket for the 2-billion-dollar jackpot. If you lose, you’re only out a little bit of pride or a buck. The upside is huge.
But if the cost of the "chance" is your house, your sanity, or your reputation, maybe listen to the "million" and not the "one."
The best way to handle these moments is to acknowledge the absurdity. Use the phrase. Laugh at the fact that you’re even considering it. It keeps you grounded while still leaving the door cracked open for a miracle.
Actionable Steps for the "One in a Million" Moments
When you find yourself staring down impossible odds, don't just rely on a Jim Carrey quote. Do this instead:
- Calculate the actual "floor." What is the worst-case scenario if the 99.9% chance of failure happens? If you can live with that floor, proceed.
- Look for the "middle path." Is there a way to improve your odds from one-in-a-million to one-in-a-thousand? Usually, there’s a lever you can pull—more prep, a different approach, or better timing.
- Check your bias. Ask a friend who doesn't have skin in the game. If they tell you you're being a Lloyd Christmas, listen to them. They see the "million" much clearer than you do.
- Set a "quit" date. If you’re chasing a long shot, decide ahead of time when you’ll stop. Don't let the "chance" turn into a permanent state of denial.
The world needs people who believe in the "chance." Without them, we wouldn't have some of the greatest inventions or most inspiring sports moments in history. Just make sure that when you're looking for that one-in-a-million shot, you aren't ignoring the bridge that could have taken you exactly where you wanted to go with much better odds.
Sometimes, the "chance" is real. Most of the time, it’s just a great line from a 90s comedy. Knowing which is which is the difference between a miracle and a disaster.