Category: Superstition

In the article Superstitions: The Irrational Beliefs That Influence Our Behavior William Kelly argues that Superstitions, irrational ideas or concepts related to good or bad fortune, play a larger role in the world around us than most people realize. Kelly explains that superstition entails objects that are deemed to result in good luck, deeds that tend to inspire good luck or bad luck and actions that can lead to unpleasant fortune (182).

Kelly states that many people believe in good luck charms. Therefore, they have in the possession objects that allegedly provide them with protection. Some of these objects may include a specific lucky shirt that brings good fortune or a symbolic key chain.

In addition, other good luck charms are more traditional for instance, the foot of a rabbit or a clover with four leaves. Although this belief in good luck charm seems not to make sense, numerous people feel more protected and comfortable when they have good luck charms in their possession (Kelly and Lawton 183).

Apart from good luck charms, Kelly states that the performance of particular rituals is also believed to provide good luck. For instance, a player who plays basketball bounces the ball a specific number of times which eventually leads to a foul shot.

Moreover, baseball players while waiting for their match tend to adjust their gears in a particular order that is believed to bring good luck. Although these actions seem irrational, the players have a belief that good luck is in waiting (Kelly and Lawton 183).

William Kelly also explains how proverbs and sayings are part and parcel of superstition. The proverbs and sayings have been in use for a long time and they tend to influence the actions of people. The people believe that their actions may result to good or bad fortune. The author mentions that shattering a mirror is a sign of bad luck to come while tossing salt over the shoulders is believed to bring good luck.

Furthermore, other actions that bring bad luck include walking under a ladder, allowing a black cat to cross our paths and opening an umbrella inside the house. William Kelly confirms that there is no proof that these actions influence good or bad luck. Nevertheless, people still adhere to them in order to be on the safe side (Kelly and Lawton 183).

Many people pretend that superstitions do not matter to them. On the contrary, they believe and follow them closely in order to prevent bad luck from befalling them. People who strongly believe in superstitions tend to watch their actions and behaviors very closely. I agree with William Kelly when he said that superstition entails objects that bring good or bad luck, actions that cause bad luck and behaviors that influence both good luck and bad luck.

Some people strongly believe that certain objects bring good or bad luck. For instance, planting an umbrella tree in the compound is deemed to bring bad luck to the occupants of the house.

Moreover, being in possession of pig oil or pig bones in the house provides protection against evil spirits. In addition, when an owl perches itself on the roof top or on a nearby tree, it brings bad luck to the homestead. Therefore, it should be chased away by a flame lest it causes death in the family.

Other actions like looking in the mirror at night and dropping coins on the floor at night are believed to bring bad fortune to people. In addition, other deeds like calling out someones name while outside at night and sweeping dirt out of the house at night are also believed to bring bad luck.

Moreover, the kicking of objects while walking on the road is believed to cause bad luck. The objects are believed to be in the form of evil spirits. Therefore, kicking then will mean being haunted at night with the evil spirits.

On the other hand, certain behaviors also influence either bad or good luck. For instance, wearing a shirt inside out is believed to protect the wearer from evil spirits. This is especially applicable in small babies in order to protect them against the evil eyes of those who are not happy about the birth. It is also believed that when pig oil is applied to the babys skin, the baby will be protected against the evil eyes of jealous people.

It is evident in William Kellys article and the response that superstition revolves around three major aspects namely good luck charms, behaviors that influence good or bad luck and actions that lead to bad luck. These superstition aspects have been in existence from generation to generation.

Therefore they are likely to be passed even to future generations who will use them to feel comfortable and protected just like their ancestors did. It is difficult to comprehend why people strongly believe in superstitions. For whatever reasons, it is almost impossible to prevent people from following their beliefs. Therefore, criticizing them is pointless but wishing them good luck is the least people can do.

Works Cited

Kelly, William and Deborah Lawton. Superstition: The Irrational Beliefs That Influence Our Behavior. Addison-Wesley Longman, Incorporated, 2005.

Miguel Proença, born in Portugal 1984, is a documentary photographer that uses his photographs to comment on how society is now ruled by science and technology. The photograph by Miguel that I have chosen to analyze is the ‘Traditional Pagan Costume’. This photograph comes from his ‘Behind the Hill’ collection that contains photographs by him of people and places that relate to his interest in superstition, faith and nature. The photograph is of a child wearing a traditional pagan outfit that is very vivid in color (see picture below). With the photograph I have chosen by Miguel, as well as other supporting photographs, I am attempting to express my views on science in fact being the death of superstition. I will do this by commenting on the faith, superstitious and nature aspect of my chosen photograph as well as comparing them to his other photographs.

This photograph was taken by Miguel in Portugal, 2015. Miguel set out to capture Portugal’s spiritual healers, he started this in 2011 and continued it ‘til 2017, ‘shooting portraits, still life’s, and photographs of the landscape, which conveys a sense of place and carries the superstitions perpetuated by the ancient legends particular to each region’ (Miguel, 2018). This was what he answered when asked what he was out to capture on photograph. Given that Miguel is a documentary photographer, we can see how straight forward his images are and how there is an accurate and clear representation of the people, objects and events that he captured.

Looking at this photograph, our eyes cannot help but to be drawn to the child in the very expressive costume. Analyzing the mask, we can see that there is a cross on the middle of the forehead that can potentially symbolize quite a few things. Having come from a Christian background, the first thing that comes to my mind while looking at the red mask with a cross on it can be interpreted as a religious reference possibly symbolizing the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross for sinners. This photograph can also be understood as the child being masked by his religion. Looking at the picture the child looks lonely and misunderstood, all we know is that the child is Pagan hence the Pagan costume. The background of the picture seems dark and gloomy, the child seems to be very youthful ready to explore but is confined by his religion and traditions. Today, people still talk about putting on masks to hide our real identity. However, when we talk about it now, we do not necessarily refer to physically wearing a mask, we talk about it in the figurative form of hiding your true personality behind a fake persona that isn’t really your own. Putting into consideration that Miguel based his photographs on his interest in superstitions, faith and nature, we can also look at the mask from a more superstitious perspective.

Masks are used in many superstitious ways, one significant way in which they are used is to intensify the feeling of horror. When a person puts on a mask you cannot easily identify them, this is because putting on a mask hides a person’s identity. Looking at Miguel’s other pieces from his ‘Behind the Hill’ collection, I found myself being intrigued by the one titled ‘Friday 13th’.

Friday the 13th for the past hundred years has known to be an unlucky day. Miguel capturing this photograph suggests that he too believes the superstition around Friday the 13th. Comparing the photograph of the young child in the costume to the Friday the 13th one, they both have a superstitious aspect. The child in the Pagan costume can appear as scary to a person that is not familiar with paganism and their traditions. The child is pictured holding a stick which makes them appear scary and intimidating. The child may be holding a stick due to his surroundings or just because of the nature of where he lives.

Nature is a very big contributor to my opinion on agreeing with Thomas Huxley’s statement that ‘Science was the death of superstition’. Although, in the photograph that I have chosen, the idea of nature playing apart is not very well portrayed as my chosen image focuses on the child in the costume, it indirectly tells us about the nature. Nature is one thing that we all can further research and come up with superstitions about. However, once educated scientists started telling us the facts that they decided, we as humans just listen and take it all in and very rarely question the information, they are giving us. The nature in this picture is not prominent, Miguel in this specific shot did not focus on the natural things that could have been in the background of the picture. However, the fact that is a child pictured in this very traditional outfit, it could be Miguel commenting on how from a very young age we are taught to believe in things for traditions sake instead of really forming our own identity.

Miguel uses this collection to display his interest in superstition, nature and faith. With this specific photo, he took a picture of something our society would easily overlook and not ask questions. Miguel’s photo also shows how people still practice very ancient beliefs while living in a 21st centaury world. ‘Proença set out to photograph individuals and scenes remote from our 21st century technological civilization. The result is traditional color photos masks, rituals and objects that offer their adherents and practitioners good health and prosperity…’ (Simon, 2019). Miguel Proença did an amazing job in documenting the life of people that still practice ancient beliefs. This is simply just my personal interpretation of his work and I’m sure he had his own.

Bibliography

1. “English Dictionary, Thesaurus, & Grammar Help | Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries.
2. Proença, M. (2019). Miguel Proença — Behind the Hill. [online] Miguel Proença.
3. Muraben, B. (2018). Miguel Proença on his photo series capturing Portugal’s spiritual healers. [online] It’s Nice That.
4. Photographers and Writers private photo review. (2019). Miguel Proença | Behind the Hill. [online] Private Photo Review.
5. Simon (2019). Books & Boots. (2019). Miguel Proença – Books & Boots. [online] Word Press.
6. The Photographers’ Gallery. (2019). TPG New Talent. [online].

Step on a crack break your mother’s back, the number 13, the number 17, breaking a mirror, cross paths with a black cat. These are some of the most common superstitions among people in the world. As a child, you would hear your mother tell you not to walk under a ladder, or when you say something terrible that it might happen, so you better knock on wood. Children grew up hearing these superstitions never aware of where they came from or consciously thinking about doing it before they did. Avoiding the number 13, or being scared that something on Friday the 13th would happen simply became a part of life. Some people went along with it not giving it too much thought, but others took it to an extreme. Superstitions were never seen as something that could inflict harm onto someone’s life, but if we take a closer look we realize superstition controls your day to day life and becomes similar to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Superstitious behavior has become common amongst those who have uncertainties about life and who need something to comfort them in predicting a good outcome. People like to put a sense of control on things that are too chaotic or too big for them to control. Superstitious behavior has become linked with OCD, giving people a sense of external control. ‘People like to have the idea that they can make sense of the world and predict what will happen to them,’ notes social psychologist Carey Morewedge, an associate professor of marketing at Boston University.” (2015) Superstitions serve as external explanations for seemingly causal events’ or as a possible way to reduce the odds that something bad will happen.” Although the number of people who believe in

superstitions is not great, the 2014 Harris Interactive/Statista survey found that 25% of people in just the United States say that they are somewhat or very superstitious. Concluding that ¼ of Americans are affected by superstitions and in jeopardy of them controlling their lives or getting to the point of severe OCD. People who reach these conditions risk isolation and not experiencing the normal lives that people live around them. They withdraw themselves from the life they had before and lose experiences that would benefit their life for the better.

The majority of people who are extreme when it comes to superstitions aren’t familiar with how the superstition came about. The most common superstition of the number 13 came from an association with the biblical last supper, where Jesus Christ dinned with his 12 disciples just before being arrested and crucified. This gave the idea that having 13 people at a table was bad luck then expanding to 13 being an unlucky number. Many others came from religious beliefs, others came from cultural beliefs like knocking on wood. The ancient Indo Europeans believed that trees were home to various spirits and that touching a tree would invoke the protection of the spirit within. People often can see that superstitions are just an ‘old wives’ tale’ or legends and stories from centuries ago. These superstitions might not make sense, but the intuitive appeal to be able to have control over what happens is too great that it’s hard for them to shake them.

Superstitious thinking crosses over into a dangerous lifestyle when the superstition becomes greater than taking care of the person’s health. When a person needs surgery, but they think a certain day, time is bad, or that something will happen to them if they get the surgery due to some superstition, the person is putting themselves in harm’s way. The reason why people become so obsessed with superstitions is due to confirmation bias. Once something good happens, superstitions are often maintained by confirmation bias where the person tends to confirm what they already believe and block out anything that contradicts that. Similarly to people who suffer from OCD they cannot go upon their day without acting upon the superstition to be reinforced that nothing bad will happen. The most common example of this is during sports games. You’re watching the civil war game and eating hot wings, and the Beavers win for the first time in years. You then come to believe in the luck of power that hot wings have and overlook all the other times you’ve eaten hot wings. This example, however, is much simpler than someone who would take something of luck to the extreme.

Most people who do have superstitions do not take it to the extent of where it becomes like OCD and a risk to their life. In some cases superstitions have been said to be beneficial for people with anxiety who feel that they can’t control things because it gives them some reassurance and self-control. They relieve anxiety about the unknown and gives people a sense of control over their lives. When the absence of control of a significant result creates anxiety, it can be maintained by the emotional benefit of superstitions even if people on a rational level know that there is no magic. (2016) “Superstitions have ‘evolved’ to produce ‘a false sense of having control over outer conditions,’ and reduce anxiety. This is also why superstitions are ‘prevalent in conditions of absence of confidence, insecurity, fear, and threat.’ (2018)

Superstitious beliefs or behaviors that come from fear, uncertainty, and unfamiliar events help people overcome such situations. However when taken to a greater extent people become obsessed with these superstitions that actually cause then to isolate themselves from society and set them back in life. Superstitions became a ‘comfort’ to people who struggle with anxiety of not being able to control future events or fear of harmful things occurring. What someone can’t see who becomes obsessed with superstitions is that is starts to control their lives and inflicts an unhealthy life. These beliefs people thought were just cultural tales have become more dangerous to humanity than we would have ever expected.

Superstition is a valuable part of English literature. From Homer to Shakespeare, the supernatural is used to create a more interesting story. According to Merriam Webster, “superstition is a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance or a false conception of causation”(Merriam Webster). Superstition has played a part in literature for centuries. Some examples of superstition are witches, gods, goddesses, monsters, ghosts, and fate.

“Witches are credited with usually malignant super powers” (Merriam-Webster). Witches were perceived as evil beings by early Christians in Europe. “Early people who practiced witchcraft were seen as pagans doing the devil’s work. Though many were simply natural healers and were misunderstood. It is unknown when people started to believe in witches but one of the earliest records is in the Bible” (“History of Witches”).

During Shakespeare’s time around the 1500s, people believed witches were women who made a promise with the Devil and in exchange he granted them supernatural powers. Everyone blamed everything that was bad in their lives on witches. If a cow was sick or crops didn’t grow, it was because of a witch. “People accused of being witches were old, poor, and single women” (“Beliefs and Superstitions”).

King James I was very superstitious about witches. Shakespeare may have wrote Macbeth with supernatural characters to make the King happy (“Beliefs and Superstitions”). King James was not the only one who believed in witches at the time, many people around did. Shakespeare used this to his advantage when he wrote Macbeth, which includes witches that are portrayed by old, poor, single women. Shakespeare most likely got this idea from what was really going on at the time.

In Macbeth the witches helped the plot move forward. The whole reason why Macbeth began to be more confident is because of what the witches told him. They said he would become Thane of Fife and then King. When he found out that he was the Thane of Fife, he thought the entire prophecy must be true. His ambition started with the witches, but he put too much trust into them. The witches were able to predict the future, but Macbeth really believed when the witches conjured up apparitions.

Among these apparitions were an armed head, a bloody child, and a crowned child with a tree branch. The apparitions told Macbeth of his fate but made it seem like none of it would ever happen. The witches were the ones who conjured them, so the witches were at fault. “Tell me, thou unknown power-” Macbeth said this to the witches knowing full well they could tell him his fortune (Shakespeare Macbeth 384). The Witches also chant these words, “Double, double, toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble” (Shakespeare Macbeth 383). This adds to the dark setting of the play. Shakespeare leads the play in a supernatural direction, and many people did not think the play was too far off of reality. This led to more witch inspired works (“History of Witches”).

Ghosts also made an impact on English literature. Merriam Webster says that a ghost is a disembodied soul. “During Shakespeare’s time, ghosts were believed to have committed suicide, been murdered, or they were criminals in their past lives” (Mirabile). When someone is visited by a ghost, it was believed to be bad luck even if it was a loved one. When ghosts appeared, it meant deceased did not pass over to the other side and were trapped. Those who experienced an encounter with a ghost were expected to help the ghost pass over. For the ghost to pass over, someone would have to figure out what was keeping them here in the first place (Mark).

The fear of getting a visit by a ghost and having to help them pass over sparked many writers, including William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth both have ghosts that are critical to each plot. Hamlet has the ghost of Hamlet’s father. Macbeth has Banquo’s ghost.

In Hamlet, Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost. Hamlet’s father told him about how Claudius killed him. This very well could be the reason why Hamlet’s father did not pass over, his murderer had to be brought to justice. By getting Claudius to confess and ultimately killing him, Hamlet helped his father pass over to the other side. This idea of ghosts are trapped until someone helps them, likely came to Shakespeare because of what was going on at the time. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now wears his crown” the ghost of Hamlet’s father said this (Shakespeare Hamlet 59). This is when the Kings ghost told Hamlet that Claudius had killed him. Without the ghost of King Hamlet, the plot of Hamlet may have never happened, and Claudius would still be alive.

In Macbeth, the ghost of Banquo visited Macbeth. Macbeth hires assassins to kill Banquo and he could have done it himself too. Banquo’s ghost did not pass over and he helped himself by making Macbeth act crazy. Macbeth did not like being visited by Banquo, as did many others of the time that thought it was bad luck to be visited by a ghost. Macbeth says, “The table’s full” meaning he sees Banquo’s ghost in his seat at the table (Shakespeare Macbeth 374). The next thing that has to do with superstition is gods.

“Gods are beings of perfect power, wisdom, and goodness who are worshipped as creators and rulers of the universe” (“Merrium Webster”). Gods are found in books like the Iliad. “The Iliad was written down in the eighth century by Homer” (Shurkin). People believed in these gods and would do anything to make them happy and to gain good favor. People in that time would do things like put on Olympic games to honor the gods or festivals to entertain them (Gill).

In the Iliad, each god takes a side between the Trojans and the Greeks. Gods like Athena and Poseidon are on the Greek side and Artemis and Apollo on the Trojan side. Each god intervenes in their own way. Apollo helped open the gates to Troy so the Trojans could get to safety. When Hector dropped his sword, Pallas Athena picked it up and gave it back to him. There are many more examples of the gods intervening.

The Iliad is more interesting when gods intervene, making more people want to read it. Gods are pretty much the main part of the epic, and without them the Iliad wouldn’t make much sense and probably wouldn’t be read as much as it is. The Iliad inspired many authors to write about Greek mythology and some still do today. The idea of having gods intervene is still popular and wont be going out of style any time soon. Like the gods interfering in fate is superstition, fate itself is also superstition as well.

“Fate is the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do” (“Merriam Webster”). During the Anglo – Saxon period, people had a strong belief that fate, or wyrd is what Anglo-Saxons called it, was real (“Anglo-Saxon Belief In Fate and Chrisianity”). Their people believed that everything that happened in their lives was meant to happen.

People believing in fate impacted writers of the time by giving them ideas on how to show their own culture. The Beowulf poet wrote down Beowulf and the whole main idea of the story was that Beowulf had his own destiny, his own fate, that he had to follow. Beowulf defeated Grendel and Grendel’s mom not only because he was the strongest man in the world, but he had fate on his side. The coincidence that Hrothgar had done a great deed for Beowulf’s father only strengthens the idea that fate is real. Beowulf owes Hrothgar. Beowulf is taken on a journey of defeating the monsters that were killing people. With many great victories, even Beowulf’s fate caught up to him. The dragon may have killed Beowulf but that was all a part of fate. He may still have died either way if he would have fought the dragon or not. Wiglaf’s fate was to be king and succeed Beowulf. The same goes for Grendel, his mother, and the dragon; their fates were to be defeated in the end.

Other works that have fate as a theme are A Tale of Two Cities, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Hamlet and Macbeth. Carton in A Tale of Two Cities ends up being executed to save Lucie of a broken heart. Carton told Lucie that he would die for anyone that she loved and he did just that. His fate was to serve Lucie rather than be loved by her. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight also have themes of fate.

Sir Gawain made a promise to fight the Green Knight. On the day that the fight was supposed to take place Sir Gawain was given a supernatural sash that kept him safe. Although he may have cheated Sir Gawain showed up to the fight and kept his promise. The Green Knight named Sir Gawain to be the most honorable man in the land. “I consider you polished as white and as perfectly clean” the Green Knight said this to Gawain (Gardner 221). Sir Gawain took the fight and honored it, his destiny was then fulfilled.

Hamlet and Macbeth both met their fates at the end of the plays. Hamlet completed his promise to get Claudius to confess. In the end, Hamlet was always supposed to die so that Fortinbras could become king and bring the two nations of Norway and Denmark together. “But I do prophesy th’ election lights / On Fortinbras” Hamlet said this so that Fortinbras could become king “(Shakespeare Hamlet 283). Macbeth met his fate at the end when Macduff put his head on a stick. When Macbeth died Malcolm then became king which he was supposed to be all along.

Fate is still a main idea in literature today. Fate is superstition because it may not be real. Somethings may just happen on accident, and we may overthink what it really is. Another superstition is monsters.

Monsters aren’t just things but people too. There are animals like things like Grendel and his mother or the dragon that are monsters. People like Madame Defarge and Satan are all monsters in the eyes of the reader.

According to Writers Digest, what makes a monster is that monsters are unpredictable, they have a passion for violence, and they are beyond control (“What Makes a Monster Scary”). Madame Defarge is a perfect example of these. She wants revenge, and with revenge comes violence. Madame Defarge tried getting all the remaining Evremond’s executed. Her actions were unpredictable due to her always remaining silent and knitting. She was beyond control and that led up to her death. Satan was also beyond control.

In Paradise Lost Satan was not able to be controlled by God. God sent Satan to hell and even though Satan thought he could not be controlled there, he was. Satan was thrown out of heaven due to his retaliation and fighting against other angels. Satan tried to prove he was god’s equal. He was unpredictable, violent, and beyond control for any other angel.

Superstition is a main theme when it comes to english literature. From Homer to Shakespeare, there are many different aspects of superstition. Ghosts, witches, gods, fate, and monsters are just some of the categories. Having superstition in stories and plays makes everything more interesting and gives authors a new tone to write with.

Works Cited

1. “Anglo- Saxon Belief In Fate and Christianity.” School Work Helper, 2019, schoolworkhelper.net/anglo-saxon-belief-in-fate-and-christianity//. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
2. “Beliefs and Superstitions.” Bbc, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zmjnb9q/revision/3. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
3. Beowulf Poet. Beowulf The Language of Literature, edited by Arthur Applebee et al., McDougal Littell Inc., 2006, pp. 33-60.
4. Dickens, Charles. Tale of Two Cities. Mcdougal Littell Inc, 1997.
5. Gardner, John. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Language of Literature, edited by Arthur Applebee et al., McDougal Littell Inc., 2006, pp. 210-221.
6. Gill, N.S. “Ancient Greeks and Their Gods.” Thought Co, 18 June 2018, www.thoughtco.com/did-the-greeks-believe-their-myths-120390. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
7. “History of Witches.” History, 12 Sept 2017, www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-witches. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
8. Homer. Iliad. The Language of Literature, edited by Arthur Applebee et al., McDougal Littell Inc., 2006, pp. 67-89.
9. Mark, Joshua. “Ghosts in the Ancient World.” Ancient, 30 Oct 2014, www.ancient.eu/ghost/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
10. Mirabile, Allessandra. “How Ghosts Were Viewed During Shakespeare’s Time.”
11. Shakespeare Comes Alive, 2017, shakespearecomesalivesdsu2017.wordpress.com/group-four-history-topic//. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
12. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Washington Post, 1992.
13. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. The Language of Literature, edited by
14. Arthur Applebee et al., McDougal Littell Inc., 2006, pp. 327-416.
15. Shurkin, Joel. “Genetics Estimate Publication Date of The Iliad.” Scientific american, 27 Feb 2013, www.scientificamerican.com/article/geneticists-estimate-publication-date-of-the-iliad/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.
16. “What Makes a Monster Scary.” Writer’s Digest, 27 Oct 2017, www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/writing-monsters-scary-qualities. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.

Lu Xun’s “Medicine” (1919) Presents the lives of ordinary Chinese people in the aftermath of the revolution. The theme of superstition runs strong, throughout the story. Faced with a situation of sheer despair, the central characters, Old Chuan and his wife opt for getting the blood of an executed individual in the belief of its healing power.

The opening of the story introduces us to a community where unfounded beliefs play an important role. Old Chuan and his wife have only one child named Little Chuan, who is dying of tuberculosis. During the time of the Revolution, there was poverty and lack of education which could lead a person to believe in superstition. When Old Chuan heard about the “medicine” which can cure a person who is dying, he is lead to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. “Medicine” usually refers to the meaning of treating a disease or preventing disease and other physical and mental damage; which is also scientifically proven. In contrast, the story of “Medicine” by Lu Xun represents a cure that is not scientifically proven but it is more like a belief that if Little Chuan eats the roll dips in the blood will cure him. The medicine contains bread and blood of a person who has recently been executed. Old Chuan went to the place where people get executed and that day only one person was executed and it was another young boy Yu Hsia who was the one executed, When Old Chuan returned home he saw everything in the shop was clean and no customer was present. It was only Little Chuan, who sat at a table near the wall and his wife rushed in from the kitchen and both went to the kitchen and transferred the crimson-stained roll in the lotus leaf and Little Chuan’s mother said, “eat it up …. then you’ll be better” (5). Little Chuan had no choice but to eat that black object although he had the oddest feeling when he was about to eat it; on the other hand, it was more like Little Chuan kept his own life in his pocket. Mr. Kang, the “heavy jowled man” who declared that “This is a guaranteed cure! Not like other things!” (6), emphasized or the miracle associated with the superstition. The repetition of the word “a guaranteed cure” is contrasted against the boy’s deteriorating condition, which indicates the ineffectiveness of the “medicine”.

In part III of the story, young Hsia and his family’s circumstances have revealed, it was Hsia whose blood was brought by Old Chuan in the hope of curing his son. The similarity of the social circumstances faced by the families of Little Chuan and young Hsia is highlighted. Finally, in part IV the two mothers come together in grief, ‘Son, they all wronged you, and you do not forget. Is your grief still so great that today you worked this wonder to let me know?’ (9). When the two mothers were sitting in the graveyard beside their loved ones, Old Chuan’s wife acknowledged the difference between the graves which was unnatural because there were red and white flowers on top of the graveyard. The symbol represents white colour symbolising innocence and, on the other hand, red symbolises sacrifice as the colour of blood. Little Chuan and young Hsia both was the victim of the situation. In comparison to the story of the period and modern-day life, all changes over time, there was no physician or hospital during that era of revolution where they could find medicine and proper treatment to illuminate superstition as a belief that is not scientifically proven. In the end, the two mothers desperately want to know that their sons are in comfort and trying to interconnect to the soul, through the ‘crow’ which symbolizes the last farewell. Though the crow doesn’t move at the time, it flies away as the two mothers prepare to leave. The flight of the crow remains open for interpretation. The central characteristic of the story also shows the admiration of love and loyalty toward their loved ones.

In conclusion, the mother asking for the sign is a definite superstition. The whole idea of the unfounded belief was that Old Chuan can bring happiness to his home which was disappeared because of his son’s sickness. The people believe in superstition because at that time they were only thinking about their son, they have a belief that their son will be recovered. Though the “medicine” was not effective in curing but, it did bring temporary happiness. However, it did not comfort the child but it comforted everyone psychologically to believe that everything will be well.

Several people are superstitious or participate in superstitious demeanors, even without being cognizant of these actions. More than half of Americans admit to being superstitious, according to a recent Gallup poll. Superstitious deportment is an action one engages in to produce a specific outcome, such as knocking on wood, avoiding a black cat, reading horoscopes, having a lucky item, and many more. Not only that, but superstitions additionally include expecting an outcome often out of your control, and doing things to influence the latter. Contrary to popular notion, superstitions are not harmful, in fact, they are beneficial. For instance, it has been proven to improve all aspects of life, including community, physical health, and mental health.

There are many different communities in the world, several of which are or are cognate of being, superstitious. To begin, Halloween is an incredibly well-known tradition, that is, the celebration of witches, ghosts, and other entities stemming from superstitions. This tradition assembles people together as a community, to celebrate their credences. Smaller groups are also made, such as hardcore sports fans who follow the same behaviors related to the games, explained by social psychologist and associate professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Jane Risen, ‘Sometimes superstitions create a sense of group identity by connecting you to other people’. Therefore, superstitious behaviors are propitious towards groups, allowing people with shared interests to be brought together. Furthermore, superstitions often lead to stronger faith, or ultimately, religious beliefs. Many different communities are built upon these, all having their own beliefs, such as Catholicism, Buddhism, and several more. For certain regions, religion, and consequently superstition, is an incredibly consequential part of their life, proven by nationally representative Gallup polls. In the study, when asked ‘Is religion an important part of your daily life?’ over 99% of Egyptians said yes. For this reason, superstitions are beneficial, if not needed, towards religious communities, as it is a component of many’s daily lives. Besides building communities, superstitions withal benefit physical health.

In today’s world of medicine, there are several different alternatives to the typical remedies, that have shown to often be better than their medical counterparts. Homeopathy, invented by Samuel Christian Hahnemann uses doses of dilutions made from non-medicinal ingredients, such as herbs, animal substances, and more. Similarly to superstitions, the results of the many positive results of homeopathy were proved by a Dutch study where epidemiologists analyzed 105 studies of homeopathic treatment, where 81 of them showed that the patients benefited from the treatments. This proves that homeopathic cures are highly efficacious, and without the negative side effects of many prevalent medications, these are therefore better. Likewise, the placebo effect also stems from superstitions, which are a product of an expected outcome. The mind essentially tricks you into believing that a fictitious treatment genuinely works. Researchers found that placebos have many effects on the human body and well-being, and doctors have been utilizing them more for that reason. In fact, the Nordic Cochrane Centre, University of Copenhagen asked 772 arbitrary Danish clinicians, asking them about their use of placebos, results show that 86% of them have used a placebo once, and 48% have used them more than ten times, both within a year. To emphasize, professionally trained doctors have been using a superstition-based cure, which proves the benefits the placebo effect has. Along with physical health, superstitious behaviors also help with mental health.

Superstitions are often utilized as coping mechanisms in reaction to the factors of situations and their outcomes following those demeanors. As part of human nature, when people don’t know the outcome of something, they will often try to control it to make them feel better about the situation. A sense of control is something most people search for, which is given by superstitious behaviors. Because the desideratum of being in control is granted, anxiety is in turn lowered, a Connecticut psychologist, Stuart Vyse, verbalizes, “Superstitious behavior does help with anxiety. If you care very much about the outcome [of an event] but it’s unlikely to have a direct effect on the outcome” For this reason, superstitious comportments are often used as ways to reduce stress and anxiety, improving one’s mental salubrity. Often, after a prosperous event where there were specific conditions, people will want those conditions to be tantamount to a similar event so that they succeed. This is often seen in sports fans who wear the same article of clothing or who eat the same food for games, to try and influence their team to win again. Albeit these conditions have little to no influence on the outcome itself, they allow the person in question to feel like it does, increasing their confidence. A study led in 2010 by Damisch, Stoberock, and Mussweiler found that using good luck superstitions increased confidence, and in turn improved performance. There is no harm in doing a simple thing that makes one think they’ll do better.

In short, there have been many proven benefits of superstitions. Consequently, we can come to the conclusion that superstitions originate from the goal to improve the human mind. The proof that has led to this conclusion is the creation of communities, and amelioration in health, both physical and psychological.

Rationality, a term that basically means the art of thinking in a rational manner that is irrespective of illogical thinking and involves mere practical as well as theoretical; in general logical aspects of interpreting the concept behind the happening or an action that is to be judged or acted upon. Unlike superstitions, Rationality doesn’t heed to the merely scripted philosophies by saints or philosophers in the ancient eras; generally doesn’t accept the thoughts that are just written and in contrast demanding a strong practical proof and evidence of the context given. Superstitions don’t refer to blindfolded beliefs but the belief in fate, supernatural powers, soul and Lord; but sometimes it is misinterpreted leading to false practices. Rationality is relative and so are the Superstitions. Surely they can co-exist and co-existing indicates that Rationality and Superstitions being one and the same thing.

​When it comes to rational thinking; each and every human has his/hers own way of interpreting what is rational. For a thief, stealing without violence is good but on the other hand, a layman would find stealing itself a bad practice. Both the subjects thought rationally but ended into different results. Humans aren’t that intellectual to have an ideal rational view of thinking. Let us take the example of the existence of God. Believing in God without any practical proof is Irrational and can be regarded Superstitious. But, since the dawn of the universe and the mankind all living organisms are striving for only one thing. Every organism be it a tiny ant or a seventy year old man; everyone seeks happiness. Each and every being pursuits happiness, knowingly or unknowingly. Maybe people name it in form of entertainment, love, care, hope or any other name. But unfortunately every experiment of man fails when it comes to absoluteness. All the happiness man gets is fickle.

“Everything in the Universe is Relative, even this sentence.” – Albert Einstein

The above reference suggests the existence of absoluteness. And that absolute happiness pursuit ends when the living organism looks inside, into his own soul. The God is nothing but a supreme soul who has achieved absolute happiness and is away from the materialistic fickle worldly affairs. This seems logical, isn’t it? The Superstitious belief in God is Rational because no scientific or practical logic can answer to the question of Absoluteness. Praying God is praising him and bowing down considering him as an ideal for oneself. So, whatever that is scripted in the holy books must have some concrete meaning hidden behind them because they have the answer to the question ‘Rational Nerds’ couldn’t answer since ages.

​Then what about the popular and widely followed superstitions in India like ‘One should not cut nails at night’, ‘one should have a bath and should not touch other person after have touched the dead body’, ‘having dinner before sunset (in Jainism)’, ‘following vegetarianism’, ‘Cleaning home brings money’, ‘not stepping out during eclipse’, ‘eating curd and sugar before going out is considered good luck’ and many more are blindly followed. Moreover praying the God by offering milk, ghee, flowers, and expensive perfumes is illogical. Why would God need them? Instead the eatables should be given to the poor. Also women who are in menstrual cycle aren’t allowed to enter the kitchen or go to temples, mosques, churches like religious places. This takes the basic right of a woman in the society. Superstitions that prevail in the society like ‘Killing the girl child’, ‘Child marriages’, ‘Sati system’ etc beliefs are responsible of downtrodden society and ceasing the development of the country. Are these superstitions rational? No, they are irrational and sick for the nation’s development and should be eradicated as soon as possible.

​Half Knowledge is dangerous. In no religious text it is mentioned to kill girl child or sati system or stopping the women to enter religious places. Yes, there is a mention for women to wear decent clothes and covering of the head when entering in the temple. But this isn’t taking any rights. Logically thinking, one cannot stop the thoughts of a person. Surely, they can be and should be changed if they are bad and characterless thoughts. But, that change depends on person to person and depends how good the person reacts to the teaching. So; just to make sure that no one in the temple has some bad thoughts that are aroused due to attractions of opposite gender; women are requested to wear decent clothes. Yes, also men should wear decent clothes, but in those days when the holy books and texts were being written most of the men used to wear dhoti and jubbahs, which was already decent. Moreover, violence (killing the girl child and other mal-practices) is opposed strongly in the religious texts like Bhagwad Gita, Tatvarthsutra etc. Cutting nails at night was told as a bad practice because in olden days there was no electricity and so there was a chance of injury. The reason of not eating at night time is possibly because scientific fact that for a healthy body, one should take dinner prior to four hours of sleeping. (In Harvard’s University, students take dinner at 6pm) Moreover, Vegetarian diet gives too much of better mental stability and a good mental health than the non-vegetarians. (Virat Kohli strictly follows vegetarian diet). All in all, all the superstitions that may in first instance seem blind to us but surely they have a rational reason hidden. But yes, some rational and logical thinking is always required. If it is becoming a reason of grave problems, then it should be stopped. And most importantly, if one is following something, one should always have the root knowledge of the references and the reason behind them because half knowledge is always dangerous. So Superstitions and Rationality surely do exist together.

​Superstitions and Rationality is one and the same thing if the belief is in the right direction. One needs to be rational to follow or have faith in the right Superstition and also to be sometimes superstitious to do the rational things. Because, as we humans aren’t ideal, we don’t have to absolute power to decide the rational thing and so we heed to what the Lord has told us in his preaching that are in front of our eyes in the form of holy books. We are the children, and a child doesn’t ask his mother why milk is good for him. It has faith in his mother and so we have in God and his path. But, as the theory of relativity; to stop the ill practices which in turn are also opposing the right thing preached by God (example non-violence) and to bring a change in the society one has to break the stereotypes and superstitions and be rational. I used to question a lot about the existence of Lord and the functioning of the universe and its origin, but on reading and diving deep into the philosophies related to it, I found a different kind of peace from within that is like a kindling fire in my soul, always bright.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between superstitions and the personality traits of an individual in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra population. 300 individuals completed two tests, one based on common superstitions found in the city and the other Big Five Personality Test. The samples were collected between the age group of 18-50 years. Out of 300 samples collected, 232 samples showed high correlation between neuroticism and the level of superstitions. This research was conducted in order to provide support to the case studies where the relation between superstitions and neuroticism was observed. It is observed that beliefs in superstitions is a by-product of the over emotionality and irrationality inherent in neuroticism. Superstitions are also related with magic, black magic parapsychology, religious beliefs, and spirituality. In this sense the present study offers a bridge between neuroticism and the social marginality hypothesis of superstitious beliefs.

Introduction

Superstition is a behaviour which does not have a transparent technical function within the execution of skill, yet it is believed to regulate luck and other external factors. Superstitions are not only inconsistent with the known laws of nature but they are also in opposition to the rational thoughts. There is a very fine line between superstitions and religious beliefs of the individuals. Superstitions are followed by individuals due to their internal fear whereas religion is believed by individuals because of their faith in God. Superstitious individuals have faith in luck, ghosts, evil spirits, omens, supernatural powers etc. and they have a perception that these powers govern their success and failures. Most of the ancient beliefs are argued nowadays as being superstitious which individuals follow blindly for the fear of being cursed or harmed by powers or God. Therefore, it’s hard to form out the boundaries of superstition and it’s a belief which is irrational and mysterious or a bent to realize privilege from the supernatural powers.

Various researchers have put forth their theories about the development of superstitious behaviour. Skinner in 1953 suggested that a causal relationship between behaviour and the ‘‘consequences’’ is a possible explanation for the occurrence and superstition in humans. Another explanation could also be derived from Langer’s work on illusion of control. Langer stated that, people are inclined to see themselves as a cause, even in situations in which they are not influencing the situation. This explanation holds that people carry out superstitious behaviours in order to influence situations in which, in reality, they have no control.

Superstitions are also part of various cultures, such as in Chinese culture it is the number four that is considered to be unlucky. Whereas in Mexico and Latin America, it isn’t Friday the 13th that’s unlucky, but Tuesday the 13th. In Western cultures, three is the magic number — everything from the Holy Trinity to three little pigs, tends to be organized in threes. Even though global structures and motifs of superstitions can be very similar, cultural meanings and resonances can be very different.

Sometimes superstitions are also related with the term magic. Magic is a concept that uses charms or spells to have supernatural control over natural forces. The definition of magic within the western tradition is distinct from religious or scientific modes; however, such distinctions of magic are subject to wide controversy. Magic includes Practices such as divination, astrology, incantations, alchemy, sorcery, spirit mediation, and necromancy. Magic helps to acquire knowledge, power, love, or wealth; to heal or ward off illness or danger; to guarantee productivity or success; to cause harm to an enemy; to reveal information; to induce spiritual transformation; or to entertain. A distinction is also made between ‘black’ magic, used for wicked purposes, and ‘white’ magic, used for beneficial purposes.

People tend to relate superstitions with parapsychology. Parapsychology can be defined as the scientific and comprehensive study of out of the ordinary events linked with human experience that indicate the strict subjective/objective antagonism that may not be quite so clear as once thought. Phenomenon like astrology, alchemy, vampire, witchcraft, aliens, paganism, etc. are not encompassed in the field of parapsychology.

People with lowered capacity for critical thinking, less skilled logical reasoning and lower IQ’s tend to believe in superstitions and irrational ideas. It is also seen that higher the level of superstition, higher the trait of conservatism and trait anxiety and lower the level of self-efficacy and external locus of control in the individual. In athletic population, superstitions proved to be fruitful as it is found to increase performance at both the physical as well as cognitive level of the sportsperson.

The big five personality traits are often abbreviated as OCEAN namely: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. The broad domain of human behaviour is represented by these five traits which are responsible for differences that we see in humans in both decision making and personality. The statements in the test help to determine where the individual sits on a particular domain of the personality.

Openness to experience: People with this trait are known for their willingness to try out new things and always think out of the box. They are known for their wild imagination, insightfulness, curiosity and originality.

Conscientiousness: It is concerned with the aspiration to be careful, meticulous, and to regulate immediate gratification with self-discipline. Traits include commitment, determination, constancy and reliability.

Extraversion: People with this trait have the capacity to initiate conversations with others and make social interactions easily and pleasantly. They prefer being with other individuals unlike the introverts. Traits include being approachable, lively, dynamic and confident.

Agreeableness: This trait measures the degree to which an individual interacts with others with compassion and cooperation. Traits include delicacy, tenderness, empathy and fidelity.

Neuroticism: Neuroticism, one of the traits of the Big Five Personality has been found to correlate with superstitions. Lower degree of neuroticism corresponds to emotional stability whereas higher degree of neuroticism is related to emotional instability. Disproportionate worrying and anxiety are exhibited by a neurotic personality. Neurotic people experience jealousy and become envious of other individuals when they feel that the other individual might exceed their level of excellence. Robert McCrae and Paul Costa described how individuals with high level of neuroticism subsist themselves during stressful situations: they tend to use inappropriate coping responses like hostile reactions because they are forced to deal more often with uncontrollable emotions. They may adopt irrational beliefs like self-blame because these beliefs are cognitively consistent with negative feelings they experience. Neuroticism appears to include not only negative affect, but also the disturbed thoughts and behaviour that accompany emotional distress.

Aim

This is a pilot research which hypothesizes that individuals with high neuroticism personality trait are more superstitious. Since the prevalence of superstitions in India is increasing day by day there is a need to study the cause of it.

Methods

This pilot research consists of two tests namely The Big Five Personality Test and Beliefs in Extreme Superstitions Test (BEST). BEST is a 30 item questionnaire on superstitions that measures the extent and level of superstitions existent in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra population. A total of 30 statements expressing various superstitions underlying in the common public, were collected through reviewing relevant literature/survey/interview method. Along with this, The Big Five Personality Test which consists of 50 items that measure the five different personality traits of the individual was also administered. These two tests were administered on total 300 individuals belonging to the age group of 18-50 years.

Result

Significant correlation has been found between neuroticism and superstitions. As per Fig.no.1, Out of 300, 232 individuals were found to possess high score in neuroticism as well as in the superstitions, in which 67 individuals were males and 165 individuals were females. This indicates that individuals with neuroticism tend to have more depressed moods and suffer from feelings of guilt, envy, anger, and anxiety which gradually leads to their beliefs in superstitions. This instability in their minds makes them to believe blindly that certain events bring good luck or bad luck for them. It has been observed through this survey that beliefs in superstitions is a by-product of the over emotionality and irrationality inherent in neuroticism.

Discussion

Superstitions is a belief in the existence of forces or entities or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation that do not conform to the laws of nature or a scientific understanding of the universe. Many believe that the origin of superstitious beliefs was during the earliest days of humanity. Faced with natural occurrences like thunderstorms and earthquakes, also the unpredictability of illness and food supply, humans attempted to form an understandable world of powers that would be influenced by action. The earliest superstitions were created as a possible way to deal with the ignorance and fear of the unknown.

India – a realm under spiritual influence, where families consult astrologers before making big changes, and where the expression ‘holy cow’ takes on new meaning. We have seen instances of this ‘spirituality’ everywhere, including many occurrences where it may border on superstition. In front of many buildings and vehicles, cotton threads run through a small lemon and a handful of chilies before reaching up to hang from a doorway. Hindus believe this ornament repels the goddess of misfortune, Alakshmi, by stopping her from entering the household. This mythology is backed by science though, for the thread within the ornament diffuses an acidic scent that keeps away bugs and pests (which may bring misfortune). Indians (and many other cultural groups) believe in Drishti. It is caused when others think negatively or have envious thoughts about someone. This negative energy can supposedly bring physical or mental illness to whomever it is directed at. To protect themselves from this negative energy, people hang pictures of fierce and scary ogres in their homes or vehicles. Parents draw black “beauty marks” with kohl on their baby’s forehead, or tie black thread around their hips because babies and children are seen as particularly at greater risk to attract jealousy and negative thoughts.

Spirituality is the process of searching the connection to divine mind within oneself. It has nothing to do with beliefs. Spirituality celebrates the innate self authority we are each born with, to seek after one’s own perception of divine truth and one’s connection to it in a way that distinguishes our own timing and unique appearance as a soul. Superstition is an unverified belief handled down culturally that draws upon fear. It is born of unfounded ‘what ifs’ that play upon the power of human belief and the tendencies of unenlightened human beings to give up their own power of self authority, and follow the herd.

The “deprivation theory” states that, in developing countries, people use superstitions to cope with the psychological and physical strain of their disadvantaged socioeconomic statues. The “age theory” ventures that younger generations – being uncertain about their future, acquire superstitious thinking to form a means of stability in fast developing societies. Income is another factor in determining an individual’s beliefs: lower socio-economic individuals visit fortune teller frequently and read horoscopes more often than higher socio-economic individuals. Widowed, divorced, and separated individuals also believe more in superstitions than their single counterparts.

Superstitious behaviour of an individual can be further explained with the help of motivation cycle. Motivation cycle is a transition of states within an individual that propels the individual towards a particular need, where motivation itself is considered hypothesized state. Superstitious beliefs are first initiated because of a particular need. This need DRIVES the individual into taking actions. Positive results, caused due to the actions, further acts as an INCENTIVE motivating an individual towards believing in superstitions more. This phenomenon continues on and on as the individual can never stop believing in superstitions once he /she has started believing in superstitions. This phenomenon is termed as motivation cycle (Refer Fig.no.2).

Burari deaths not suicide but accident

New Delhi: On Sunday morning, Corpses of 11 members of the Bhatia family were found at a house in Delhi’s Burari area. Ten bodies were found hanging and blindfolded, while the eldest family member Narayani Bhatia, 77, was found strangled in a separate room. The rest, including two 15-year-old boys, supposedly used chunnis (scarves) with religious designs on it and cables to hang themselves. They were gagged and blindfolded, with hands tied. The post mortem examination of six of the 11 dead revealed no signs of struggle. The Psychological autopsy study suggested that the members did not commit suicide, but it was an accident that occurred during the course of performing a ritual. The handwritten notes found on the spot indicated that none of the deceased had an intention to put an end to his/her life.

Disabled kids buried in garbage during solar eclipse in Karnataka

Bengaluru: In an incident of superstition which can be called an example of inhumanity, eight children were buried neck-deep in garbage and mud during the solar eclipse on 26th December, 2019. In some villages in Kalaburgi district of north Karnataka. These children were buried as the locals believed that such a ritual could cure their physical and skin ailments. The physically challenged kids and other kids with skin ailments belonging to the 4-11 age bracket were buried at 8 am, minutes before the eclipse started. Eventually, after an hour, unable to move and bear the heat and torture, the children began to cry. Showing some sympathy, two parents took their kids out of the muck. But others had to stay put till officials came to the spot and ‘dug’ them out.

Conclusion

The outcome of this research is, neuroticism is one of the reason responsible for superstitious behaviour of individuals. Concluded that individuals with high emotional instability believe more in superstitions. By this, it is found that superstitious individuals have faith in luck, ghosts’ evil spirits, omen, supernatural powers etc. They think that these powers govern their success and failure. Because individuals have strong need of control and are easily affected by even the smallest events and circumstances, they behave in unstable ways which eventually leads them to believe in superstitions since it provides them with a sense of control over these unpredictable events. This correlation between neuroticism and superstition has been confirmed.

References

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A behavioral approach to human psychology provides valuable insights into individual decision-making. One of its facets is the explanation of specific behavioral patterns through the learning process through rewards and punishments – operant conditioning. Positive outcomes reinforce the behavior, whereas negative ones suppress it (Skinner, 1948). In this context, the appearance of the superstition phenomena as a result of such conditioning can be accurately explained by the behavioral approach.

A behavior that is based on a specific belief with no solid proof or confirmation is considered superstitious. From the perspective of Skinner, the radical behaviorist, superstitious behavior results from noncontingent reinforcement. It implies that the behavior was rewarded by chance, leading to the subjective belief of their causal relationship despite the actual absence of such (Skinner, 1948). Due to solid behavioral explanations and empirical proofs, superstitions should not be considered a consequence of human intellectual exclusivity.

In the context of widespread criticism of radical behaviorism, superstitions do not pose any controversy and ambiguity. Skinner’s position has often been criticized for devaluating the psychological factors affecting the decision-making process, such as subjective values or motivation. However, the contribution of reward and punishment learning processes to superstitious behavior is high enough to be argued or opposed.

The knowledge of the substantial behavioral basis of superstitions can prove genuinely valuable in a psychological field. For example, the fact that negative reinforcement provides a more fertile condition for behavioral development than its positive counterpart can explain the tendency of partial social withdrawal or extreme isolation cases such as hikikomori. Undoubtedly, these individuals experienced both positive and negative socialization outcomes. However, it was the latter that led to the superstitious exaggeration of the world’s hostility.

Overall, the behavioral approach provides a reliable explanation for various superstitious behaviors present in society. It takes only a random reinforcement to occur to make an individual believe in the causal relationship between it and their behavior. Due to the evident contribution of operant conditioning to the formation of superstitious behavior, the topic breeds little controversy and provides a solid basis for any associated research.

Reference

Skinner, B. F. (1948). Superstition in the pigeon. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38, 168-172.

In the article “Superstitions: The Irrational Beliefs That Influence Our Behavior” William Kelly argues that “Superstitions, irrational ideas or concepts related to good or bad fortune, play a larger role in the world around us than most people realize”. Kelly explains that superstition entails objects that are deemed to result in good luck, deeds that tend to inspire good luck or bad luck and actions that can lead to unpleasant fortune (182).

Kelly states that many people believe in good luck charms. Therefore, they have in the possession objects that allegedly provide them with protection. Some of these objects may include a specific lucky shirt that brings good fortune or a symbolic key chain.

In addition, other good luck charms are more traditional for instance, the foot of a rabbit or a clover with four leaves. Although this belief in good luck charm seems not to make sense, numerous people feel more protected and comfortable when they have good luck charms in their possession (Kelly and Lawton 183).

Apart from good luck charms, Kelly states that the performance of particular rituals is also believed to provide good luck. For instance, a player who plays basketball bounces the ball a specific number of times which eventually leads to a foul shot.

Moreover, baseball players while waiting for their match tend to adjust their gears in a particular order that is believed to bring good luck. Although these actions seem irrational, the players have a belief that good luck is in waiting (Kelly and Lawton 183).

William Kelly also explains how proverbs and sayings are part and parcel of superstition. The proverbs and sayings have been in use for a long time and they tend to influence the actions of people. The people believe that their actions may result to good or bad fortune. The author mentions that shattering a mirror is a sign of bad luck to come while tossing salt over the shoulders is believed to bring good luck.

Furthermore, other actions that bring bad luck include walking under a ladder, allowing a black cat to cross our paths and opening an umbrella inside the house. William Kelly confirms that there is no proof that these actions influence good or bad luck. Nevertheless, people still adhere to them in order to be on the safe side (Kelly and Lawton 183).

Many people pretend that superstitions do not matter to them. On the contrary, they believe and follow them closely in order to prevent bad luck from befalling them. People who strongly believe in superstitions tend to watch their actions and behaviors very closely. I agree with William Kelly when he said that superstition entails objects that bring good or bad luck, actions that cause bad luck and behaviors that influence both good luck and bad luck.

Some people strongly believe that certain objects bring good or bad luck. For instance, planting an umbrella tree in the compound is deemed to bring bad luck to the occupants of the house.

Moreover, being in possession of pig oil or pig bones in the house provides protection against evil spirits. In addition, when an owl perches itself on the roof top or on a nearby tree, it brings bad luck to the homestead. Therefore, it should be chased away by a flame lest it causes death in the family.

Other actions like looking in the mirror at night and dropping coins on the floor at night are believed to bring bad fortune to people. In addition, other deeds like calling out someone’s name while outside at night and sweeping dirt out of the house at night are also believed to bring bad luck.

Moreover, the kicking of objects while walking on the road is believed to cause bad luck. The objects are believed to be in the form of evil spirits. Therefore, kicking then will mean being haunted at night with the evil spirits.

On the other hand, certain behaviors also influence either bad or good luck. For instance, wearing a shirt inside out is believed to protect the wearer from evil spirits. This is especially applicable in small babies in order to protect them against the evil eyes of those who are not happy about the birth. It is also believed that when pig oil is applied to the baby’s skin, the baby will be protected against the evil eyes of jealous people.

It is evident in William Kelly’s article and the response that superstition revolves around three major aspects namely good luck charms, behaviors that influence good or bad luck and actions that lead to bad luck. These superstition aspects have been in existence from generation to generation.

Therefore they are likely to be passed even to future generations who will use them to feel comfortable and protected just like their ancestors did. It is difficult to comprehend why people strongly believe in superstitions. For whatever reasons, it is almost impossible to prevent people from following their beliefs. Therefore, criticizing them is pointless but wishing them good luck is the least people can do.

Works Cited

Kelly, William and Deborah Lawton. Superstition: The Irrational Beliefs That Influence Our Behavior. Addison-Wesley Longman, Incorporated, 2005.