Sunday, January 15, 2006

Superstitions....

This Friday happened to be the 13th too. The number 13 brings jitters to many. Each one has his/her own set of idiosyncratic superstitions. Why are we so superstitious? There has to be a reason for being superstitious.

Is it because of the fact that we always want "good" things to happen to us in our lives; and we critically tend to analyse as to why "bad" things happened the way they happened. The analysis of the past will reveal the reason why it happened. Ironically and funnily, these reasons are often flimsy. The actual occurrence of the "bad" result is in no relation to the flimsy excuse. Yet, we normally tend to not repeat the so-called reason again in a similar circumstance. Is superstition a part of a learning curve where we do not repeat our mistakes :)

Just the very fact that the failure of an event is blamed on a flimsy reason (the poor scapegoat) leads to this idiosyncratic superstition. Psychologically, the mind is in a better and more positive state of mind. The positive state actually leads to the success of an event and not the superstition. But then, as long as it works, is it not right to be superstitious. I do not have an answer to this fundamental question. Does being superstitious really help one in his/her endeavour. Moroever, it is the attempt to actually not admit one's fault when the scapegoat is around.

PS: Hmmm.. one of those posts that are highly incoherent and vague. I am sure that most people tend to be superstitious in their own, sweet, little, funny ways.

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