ORIGINS OF SUPERSTITIONS

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Superstition:

belief that is not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old ideas about magic, etc.

- Cambridge Dictionary

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Superstitions - beliefs that certain actions, symbols, or rituals can bring good or bad luck, even if there is no logical or scientific explanation – are relied upon by many for comfort, security, and a sense of control over unpredictable situations. Witness for example athletes having a lucky piece of clothing.

The human mind tends to seek patterns and connections between actions and outcomes, even when there is no direct relationship. This psychological phenomenon is known as magical thinking, and it explains why many superstitions persist even in modern, rational societies.

Magical thinking:

when a person believes that specific words, thoughts, emotions, or rituals can influence the external world.

At the heart of superstition is the psychological need for control, especially in situations of uncertainty. When we feel anxious or helpless, we often turn to rituals that give us the illusion of control. This concept is known as illusory control.

Illusion of control:

The illusion of control consists of overestimating the influence that our behavior exerts over uncontrollable outcomes. Available evidence suggests that an important factor in development of this illusion is the personal involvement of participants who are trying to obtain the outcome.

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Origins of some superstitions . . .

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Breaking a mirror = 7 years’ bad luck:

The Greeks believed that a person’s reflection on the surface of a pool of water revealed one’s soul. The Romans took this one step further: they developed mirrors from polished metal surfaces, and believed their gods observed souls through these devices. To damage a mirror resulted in the gods raining bad luck on the person at fault.

However the Romans did not believe that the resulting bad luck would last forever. They believed that the body renewed itself every seven years, whereupon the bad luck would end.

There is also a superstition which claims that if it breaks into small shards, your bad luck will be smaller than if it breaks into large pieces.

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Friday the 13th:

One source mentioned for the unlucky reputation of the number 13 is a Norse myth about twelve gods having a dinner party in Valhalla. The trickster god Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the thirteenth guest, and arranged for Höðr, the god of darkness, to shoot Balder, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Balder died, triggering much suffering in the world, which caused the number 13 to be considered unlucky.

In many Western countries the number 13 is considered unlucky, and Friday the 13th is seen as particularly ominous. This may have roots in Christianity, where Judas, the 13th guest at the Last Supper, betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on a Friday.

BTW #1:

The fear of the number 13 is known as triskaidekaphobia.

Fear of Friday 13th is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia.

BTW #2:

Tupac died on a Friday 13th in 1996 and on this date during the Blitz Buckingham Palace was bombed. Kitty Genovese was also murdered on this unlucky day as no one called for help, in a phenomenon that became known as the Bystander Effect.

Bystander Effect:

The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological theory that states that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim in the presence of other people.

The theory was first proposed in 1964 after the murder of Kitty Genovese, in which a newspaper had reported (albeit somewhat erroneously) that 37 bystanders saw or heard the attack without coming to her assistance or calling the police.

Much research, mostly in psychology research laboratories, has focused on increasingly varied factors, such as the number of bystanders, ambiguity, group cohesiveness, and diffusion of responsibility that reinforces mutual denial. If a single individual is asked to complete a task alone, the sense of responsibility will be strong, and there will be a positive response; however, if a group is required to complete a task together, each individual in the group will have a weak sense of responsibility, and will often shrink back in the face of difficulties or responsibilities.

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More to come.