Superstitions
Posted by: BrianS
Superstitions - 04/19/06 01:33 AM
Why are people so supersticious? My sister is the worlds worst. From astrology to salt,cats,ladders,horseshoes,etc...you name it she has a weird superstition about it. It kind of freaks me out.
To what extent are you superstitious?
Posted by: Stormdragon
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 01:47 AM
It can often be from Obsessive compulsive disorder. People will develope irrational fears and develope rituals or superstitions to prevent these irrational fears from coming true, like having everything arranged perfectly or their mom will die, or they will lose their job, and whatnot. I have a minor version of problem. It stems largely from irrational out of control fears caused by slight flaws with the brain or nervous system.
She could very likely have a case of obsessive compulsive disorder, you should have her look into that. It can also come from anxiety, and things like that.
Posted by: Dereck
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 01:53 AM
I find myself from time to time saying something and then saying "knock on wood" and finding wood to do it.
Also during the playoffs for the NFL this year when my Steelers were in it, I had many superstitions that I did like wearing my cap during certain plays and touching the rim before the snap, and a few other things I was doing to ensure they won. Guess what ... it worked. So all of you Steeler fans can thank me now.
Posted by: Mr_Heretik
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 03:00 AM
Quote:
It can often be from Obsessive compulsive disorder. People will develope irrational fears and develope rituals or superstitions to prevent these irrational fears from coming true, like having everything arranged perfectly or their mom will die, or they will lose their job, and whatnot. I have a minor version of problem. It stems largely from irrational out of control fears caused by slight flaws with the brain or nervous system.
She could very likely have a case of obsessive compulsive disorder, you should have her look into that. It can also come from anxiety, and things like that.
I think everyone might have a little OCD...
Posted by: BrianS
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 03:29 AM
Quote:
Quote:
It can often be from Obsessive compulsive disorder. People will develope irrational fears and develope rituals or superstitions to prevent these irrational fears from coming true, like having everything arranged perfectly or their mom will die, or they will lose their job, and whatnot. I have a minor version of problem. It stems largely from irrational out of control fears caused by slight flaws with the brain or nervous system.
She could very likely have a case of obsessive compulsive disorder, you should have her look into that. It can also come from anxiety, and things like that.
I think everyone might have a little OCD...
I think so too. I wasn't looking for a diagnosis for my sister I was just asking a question. 
Posted by: Cord
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 05:39 AM
Most superstition can be traced back through religious belief. For example the idea of walking under a ladder being unlucky has to do with the triangle the ladder forms with the floor and the wall symbolising the Holy trinity. To walk through it was seen as sacriligious.
I am a big beleiver in the power of tempting fate. On a journey in the car, if the wife says something like 'aren't the roads clear today' I tell her off for ensuring that a jam will be not be far ahead. Anytime someone gets ahead of themsleves with optimistic assumptions makes me grind my teeth- sports commentators are the worst 'oh he is on his way to a unanimous win!!!' is usualy the kiss of death to the dominant fighter- they will get hit with a flash KO by the end of the round.
Superstitions allow people to express their overriding mindset as part of their lives. Some find optimism, others pessimism (me), and others feel the burden of responsibility for their lives lifted by putting themselves in the hands of fate.
Its all acknowledgement of powers beyond out comprehension somehow deciding our path through life.
Posted by: Ed_Morris
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 07:26 AM
superstitions are a way of coping with fears. our fears are sometimes irrational, therefore the 'cures' we come up with are equally irrational.
The most universal fear, is fear of the unknown. death being the largest unknown. The only thing thats sure is we all die. Instead of simply accepting it, we need ways to make us feel better about it. most institutionalized superstitions and cultural rituals around the world have at least this in common.
Posted by: Stormdragon
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 02:01 PM
Hey chill man, I'm studying psychology right now and part of my study includes learning ot diagnose people with certain issues and disorders, so what do ya expect. Besides, ihave OCD so I'm much more apt to pick up onsomeone who has it. And some peopel have it worse than others, mr. heretik, much worse.
Being an intelligent being, I know that superstions are ridiculous and unneccesary. However, I often find myself doing or not doing something in line with superstition "Just in case"
Sharon
Lucky horse shoes...Hah!
There is nothing lucky abot a horseshoe, especially when it is still attached to the horse that just stepped on your foot!
That aside, I think we all have supersitions that we observe, some that we've grown up with and were taught as children, and some that we may not even realize we have. Our brains are very good at observing patterns and making connections. For instance:
Over the course of one year, every time my mother cooked a ham for dinner, something would happen that would prevent us from being able to eat it. I fell (got bucked) off my horse and dislocated my shoulder, My mom tripped and broke her leg, etc. It even got to the point that if someone suggested the idea of getting a ham, someone would get hurt. Although we finally managed to have a ham for dinner without someone in the imediate family getting hurt, to this day, she will check with me to make sure I don't have a tournament, testing, or other special event to attend in the near vicinity which would be affected by her cooking a ham. Needless to say, we don't have ham very often anymore.
Laura
Posted by: Zombie Zero
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 04:08 PM
I don't have any superstitions; they're bad luck.
Posted by: harlan
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 04:15 PM
I have one superstition: don't go out on rainy nights. Nothing good happens to me on rainy nights.
Posted by: BuDoc
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 04:36 PM
Quote:
Hey chill man, I'm studying psychology right now and part of my study includes learning ot diagnose people with certain issues and disorders, so what do ya expect.
I am hoping that you meant identify , not diagnose
Page
Posted by: BuDoc
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 04:38 PM
For me it is usually the opposite. Someone would end up getting hurt (or at least hurting) then I would give them a ham!
Page
Posted by: Stormdragon
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 04:47 PM
Quote:
Quote:
Hey chill man, I'm studying psychology right now and part of my study includes learning ot diagnose people with certain issues and disorders, so what do ya expect.
.
I am hoping that you meant identify , not diagnose
Page
Oh yeah sorry, my mistake. I'm not actually diagnosing peopel and recommending what they should do, it's just like examples and stuff. But yeah, your right
edit to fix quote
Posted by: JoelM
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 05:06 PM
I'm sure I have my share of superstistions, although I can't think of any off the top of my head. I also have my own little obsessive-compulsive quirks, they have no rhyme nor reason(but they do have a pattern), but I kind of like them because they're mine.
I also like to mess with other peoples' superstitions. I'll take somebody's umbrella, open it up, and give it back to them; I go out of my way to walk under ladders. You know, the fun stuff.
Posted by: McSensei
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 06:28 PM
I always thought the don't walk under ladders came about through common sense.
After all, if someone is working up the ladder and drops something you are likely to get hit if you are walking under it. Don't walk under it, don't get hit.
Bit of a no brainer really.
I have mild OCD as well but I have countless rituals in place so that it never affects me.
Page, lol. Ham-good one!
Posted by: Stormdragon
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 06:48 PM
Now, I know I'm probably going to get htis deleted, but we're not assuming that all religion or spreituality is just superstition are we.
Cuz if we are then
just kidding
Posted by: imcrazy
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 07:15 PM
Quote:
Its all acknowledgement of powers beyond out comprehension somehow deciding our path through life.
Wake up Cord...
The Matrix has you....
Knock knock Cord.
Hehe sorry couldn't help myself. I'm not a really superstitous person, but I do some irrational things to. And most of the time I wonder why exactly I'm doing it.
Posted by: Ed_Morris
Re: Superstitions - 04/19/06 09:37 PM
superstitions from other cultures put perspective on how meaningful ours must be
In Japan for instance, sleeping with your socks on signifys death and therefore 'bad luck'.
Number 4 (Shi) in Japan is bad luck (like our '13'). The word 'Shi' means 'four' but also means 'death'. It's common to get in an elevator in Japan and notice there is no 4th floor....even though it would be spoken as 'yon' as in 'yon kai'.
Sticking your chopsticks into your food and leaving it there symbolizes death since this is the way rice is offered to the deceased in a home shrine. For this reason, it is considered extreamly bad manners and bad luck.
Had a black cat cross my path last night after class and all I could think about was this thread. Nothing bad happened to me, that I know of yet anyway, so I guess I'm safe.
Page, STAY AWAY FROM ME WITH THAT HAM!!!!! wimpers
Laura
Posted by: McSensei
Re: Superstitions - 04/21/06 03:49 AM
That just goes to show how rubbish they all are really.
In England, if a black cat crosses your path it's GOOD luck!
Posted by: BrianS
Re: Superstitions - 04/21/06 04:22 AM
Breaking a mirror = 7yrs bad luck
Black cat walking infront of you = bad luck
Spilling salt = bad luck(unless you take a pinch and throw it over your shoulder)
Walking under a ladder = bad luck
Opening an umbrella indoors = bad luck
Hanging a horseshoe tongs down = bad luck
Sheesh....there's a bunch.
Posted by: Diabolic
Re: Superstitions - 04/21/06 04:09 PM
My father hates things being crossed. Like if some pens are crossing over eachother on the table he'll straighten em out. He told me once when I was younger that it was bad luck and it has stuck with me ever since. To this day when I stack stuff or put things down anything from lumber to silverware I dont let them cross. I don't know if its really superstititon coming from him, or just him trying to tell me to keep things organized when I was younger.
Posted by: McSensei
Re: Superstitions - 04/21/06 07:25 PM
Quote:
Breaking a mirror = 7yrs bad luck
Black cat walking infront of you = bad luck
Spilling salt = bad luck(unless you take a pinch and throw it over your shoulder)
Walking under a ladder = bad luck
Opening an umbrella indoors = bad luck
Hanging a horseshoe tongs down = bad luck
Sheesh....there's a bunch.
Yep, they are all the same over here except the black cat one. Which is just as well as I have two of the damned things.
Did you know that you are only supposed to throw the salt over your left shoulder though?
Apparently that is where the devil sits...
Posted by: wristtwister
Re: Superstitions - 04/24/06 11:46 PM
I don't believe in superstitions... they're unlucky...
Posted by: TimBlack
Re: Superstitions - 04/26/06 12:33 PM
The other day an old woman came up to me and tried to sell me some lucky heather - she had a whole bag of it.
"So," I asked her, "if this heather's so lucky, you should be the luckiest person in the world! Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, savage superstitious hippy-pinkie person!!!"
(then I bought some just in case)
Posted by: Gavin
Re: Superstitions - 04/26/06 01:17 PM
I have some weird little quirks, being a particularly weird person this comes with the job!
One of my strangest phobias/superstitions is that I won't eat eggs in eggy form, fried, boiled, etc... just don't trust 'em! I have absolutely no idea why, I can use eggs in cooking just won't eat them in their own. Like I said, the best way I can describe my reason for it is that I just don't trust them. Same with fish with scales on... don't trust them either! Actually like the taste of both though. Go figure!
Nope, not superstitious at all.
Superstitions are for weak minded people, those who can't face the fact that they alone are responsible for what happens to them.
Posted by: Karateka13
Re: Superstitions - 04/29/06 05:36 PM
I'm not superstitious, though I do do certain things for good luck...like if I have an exam I wear two necklaces, one that my grandparents gave me and one my mom gave me for good luck.
My mom also does the "knock on wood" then finds wood to knock on thing. I do that sometimes too, only if there's no wood I knock on my own head as a joke.
I also have quirks with organizing stuff, but it's not fear of bad luck...it's just I get a little bothered if there's a certain way I like things to be organized and they're not done that way. Like, if I'm in the supermarket and I'm near the cash where they keep the chocolate/gum/mints and I see that they're scattered I, without thinking, start organizing them. If I catch myself, I stop, because I hate it when I realize that someone might be watching me thinking I'm trying to shoplift when all I'm doing is fixing the mess up.
Anyways....nice thread!
Ok, who did it???
Fess Up! Who cooked a ham??? I know someone out there did. I just know it! I have a reinjured and very sore foot to proove it! growl.
Thank you soooo very much. mummble mummble grumble limp mummble mummble limp.
Laura