Are you superstitious? If you break a mirror, will it bring you seven years of bad luck? Do you rub a gold wedding band to cure a sty?
We are always thinking that we have absolute control over the physical world. Most times, we try to make sense of what happens around us and attempt to predict it. Like for example, have you ever felt like something bad is going to happen and it does? When events happen in our lives, we tend to find a causation or correlation based on what events preluded to the event. Athletes engage in the process of following a similar routine in order to have a good performance. These routines become superstitions because it is believed those preceding events have a direct influence with the results. In clinical terms, magical thinking is the ideas, like the ones described above, of finding casual correlations, causations or granting power to symbols (see Law of Contagion).
In an attempt to control the physical world, we try to pair meaningless events together. Carl Jung coined the term synchronitity to the attribution of meaning to two or more events which occur at the same time. That is how superstition was born and sustained in folklore. The human mind has a tendency to search for information in a way that confirms one’s perception while ignoring contradicting information. In psychology, we call it “Confirmation Bias“.
It seems the greater the stress or the worse the situation on the individual, the more magical thinking tends to occur. What’s interesting is that we still inherit superstitious beliefs without a rational assessment. From generations to generations, superstitions are passed on. Superstitions are held by cultures as well as single individuals. The reality is that without developing ideas that match our worldview (magical thinking), the alternative explanation may be more troublesome to us.
As a treat for you below is a list of common supertitions:
I want to hear from you: What are your thoughts on Superstition? What are some superstitions you have heard or believe in?
Ps. Happy Halloween!
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Hi Roberto,
I do not consider myself a superstitious person, but I do believe in certain things that I used to hear from my grand mother. As a matter of fact, I still hear them from different people, and different cultures.
I believe that you should knock on wood to avoid bad luck.
I believe that when you see a big black butterfly on the main entrance of the house, some kind of news is on the way.
I believe that you should not leave an open umbrella in the house.
But, I consider the number 13, and a black cat, as “good luck”
Are you supertstitious?
Regards,
Marie.
@Marie Boucard -
I think we all inherit some “family believes”. For example, my grandmother used to tell me not to whistle at night, because snakes would come. I do not believe that, but I do knock on wood.
The black butterfly is a new one for me (Very interesting). Thank you for commenting.
Good article! You made a very valid point regarding the generational superstitions. I never had the blessing of meeting my grandmother (on my mother’s side) but my mom said she was very superstitious. Therefore, she passed those on to my mother and growing up I remember a whole bunch of them she used to say. Here are just a few: Never give your significant other (husband/boyfriend) a tie, socks or a handkerchief because it’s bad luck; always have the pillow case openings face each other if not, there can be disaccord; if you’re unmarried, don’t allow anyone to sweep your feet with a broom because you will not get married… and the list goes on. What’s interesting is that while I don’t believe these things nor do I think my Mom truly does either, it’s like you said,”the alternative may be troublesome”.
I have a few more superstitions:
- Don’t whistle at night. (Portugese thing)
- Knock on the planes door for good luck
- When passing salt it must be placed on the table before other eprson grabs it. In other words no passing salt from one hand to another directly. (Curacao Jewish)
- Fumegate your house to let the bad spirits out at New Years eve (Curacao)
i need some superstitious for my assignment!!!
its… scientific beliefs