NationStates Jolt Archive

As a hobby I like to read up on superstition from books and information websites like wikipedia. I do so for two reasons. One reason is some are ridiculously funny. For example in Russia getting crapped on in birds is good luck and in China saying 250 is a taboo. The second reason is because I believe that there is a certain amount of truth behind many old beliefs. We know today that many superstitions are false due to scientific and technological advancement however what we fail to realize is that the primitive who initiated said belief could have witnessed an event explainable by modern science but then came up with something far-fetched due to the lack of modern science. The mermaid for example resulted from sailors seeing mirages. Mermaids turned out to be manatees that had the light shine off of them the right way causing sailors to perceive them as topless humanoid fish women.

Thoughts? Comments? Agree? Disagree?

I'm a firm believer that there are plenty of things out there that we just don't plain understand, and that there is always a grain of truth behind every superstition. I don't know about you, but I'd be inclined to listen to the advice of those people when it comes to some of the more dangerous superstitions ...better to be safe than to tempt fate.

What about the belief that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck? Or that umbrella thing?

It's a blatant set of correlation doesn't equal causation.

What about the belief that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck? Or that umbrella thing?

Those little pieces of mirror turn up years later in the ball of your foot. And mothers made up the umbrella thing to keep the carpet dry.

Those little pieces of mirror turn up years later in the ball of your foot.
Mirrors are expensive. So do not break them.

With what I've seen as a social worker, there is phenomena out there that still escapes present explanation. It's easy to see how an average person could speculate the improbable.:confused:

I'll see you in hell. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=w9hzUhOF7pQ)
just kidding, i heard about that being crapped on by birds in UK, somehow it's good luck. Not from the point of view of the person who got pooed on by a seagull, damn them seagulls.
What i don't get is saying "bless you" after someone sneezes, is this just a western thing or what?

Mirrors are expensive. So do not break them.

They also used to be made using copious amounts of lead. So breaking one could release some rather nasty vapours, which didn't exactly improve the health of anyone living inside the house...

I have stepped on the cracks in the pavement all my life and not once have I been attacked by bears.

I'll see you in hell. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=w9hzUhOF7pQ)
just kidding, i heard about that being crapped on by birds in UK, somehow it's good luck. Not from the point of view of the person who got pooed on by a seagull, damn them seagulls.
What i don't get is saying "bless you" after someone sneezes, is this just a western thing or what?Only Anglophonic, actually. In France, Germany, and Russia, it's "(to your) health" nowadays.

Or that umbrella thing?

Have you ever walked around inside with an umbrella up? You run into all kinds of crap...lamps, tvs, walls, eyeballs...

Only Anglophonic, actually. In France, Germany, and Russia, it's "(to your) health" nowadays.

what happens if i don't own a phone?

Only Anglophonic, actually. In France, Germany, and Russia, it's "(to your) health" nowadays.

Spain as well.

My husband found a 4 leaf clover on our first date, he brought it to me from my yard. He brought me another two days ago, he found it in the yard of our new house. I think I'm a bit superstitious.....or coincidences are coincidental.

what about that crazy superstition of not eating yellow snow! I mean who thought of that when its so warm and minerally?

For example in Russia getting crapped on in birds is good luck

its true in England as well, why do you think when a bird craps all over an expensive car the owner does an ancient celebration dance whilst speaking in some cryptic code?

What about the belief that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck?

I can assure you its true however it actually works seven years into the past (because mirrors are not of this reality) which is how you broke the mirror in the first place

My husband found a 4 leaf clover on our first date, he brought it to me from my yard. He brought me another two days ago, he found it in the yard of our new house. I think I'm a bit superstitious.....or coincidences are coincidental.

maybe your just radioactive :)

Sneezing & Bless You: It's my understanding that the origin of this was because medieval idiots thought that when you sneezed your heart stopped and that the "Bless you" came about in a superstitious effort to keep friends and family from dying.

Mirrors & 7 Years: This one is bogus. I shot a mirror with a .22 caliber rifle once and most of the following 14 years had more bad luck than good or blind luck. The previous few years were no picnics either but meh.

Sneezing & Bless You: It's my understanding that the origin of this was because medieval idiots thought that when you sneezed your heart stopped and that the "Bless you" came about in a superstitious effort to keep friends and family from dying.

You sure that they didn't just associate sneezing with general sickness and death?

I never say "bless you" when people sneeze, some people take it really badly as if you want them to be cursed or somesuch.

When you sneeze your soul escapes from your body unless someone blesses you and then you get it back.

7 is lucky because there is the highest probabilty of getting a 7 when you roll 2 six sided dice.
13 is unlucky because you will never get a 13 when you roll 2 six sided dice
and because there were 13 people at Jesus' last supper

I have stepped on the cracks in the pavement all my life and not once have I been attacked by bears.
You're lucky.

Every frikkin' day I've got bears chasing me down the streets. I deliberately avoid stepping on cracks in the pavement now, but I still get the damn bears! A couple of weeks ago I managed to get the jump on one of the buggers - it was hiding round a corner waiting to leap out at me, but I saw it's reflection in a passing car, so I nipped up a side street and crept up on it - pinned it to the floor and demanded it tell me why they're all still attacking me. Apparently it's because they're still catching up on me for all the previous times I've stepped on the cracks. I've still got four years of bloody bear attacks. Mind you, I went for a drink with the bear I nobbled - quite a nice bear actually, said he'd see if he could swing me a deal where they write off a couple of years due to non-belief.

there has to be a little bit of truth behind superstitions, otherwise no one would believe them at all.

there has to be a little bit of truth behind superstitions, otherwise no one would believe them at all.

Human belief has more to do with ignorance than truth.