Superstitions!

[Aishwarya]

I know a lot of educated people, including me, who despite knowing that there is no logic behind certain superstitions, believe in them. It is more of a psychological game. Like, I know that when my right eye starts twitching involuntarily, I feel something really bad is going to happen. Now, I know the scientifc reason behind why my eye twitches, but somehow I am very wary and apprehensive on that day. Now the truth is that something bad may not happen at all, but anything which is very trivial on normal days will seem as a big deal on such werid occasions and this feeling tends to feed the already existing belief I have.



I am fairly religious person and I am doing my PhD ( I have a thread on that). I am trained to think logically, but why is it that even people like me tend to take such Bull Shit seriously. I can't give any rationale for why I am doing that. May be it is lack in confidence or I dont know. Anybody has anything to say about that.



Also, I would appreciate if you can be honest about what superstitions you believe in. I guess I will be more comfortable with myself then!

[fl]

perhaps u have to look at some non-engineering sciences to find the answer

those are the things u get from ur parents when u are really young

freud claims mostly from ur mother

no matter what u learn when u grow up u still fear/believe in certain things

[KK]

I do believe in certain practices such as the following



- Aligning urself in a particular direction when you sleep- as science shows that the earth magnetic field has effect on the iron (haemoglobin ) in your blood. In order to get good sleep, one should sleep in a direction that will have least effect with the earth's field.



-Not getting up when you are having a meal- for proper digestion

-Start your meal with a curry and not with rice - traits of a connoissuer



I dont believe in black cat or right eye twitching nonsense. I think I believe in Vaastu although there is no concrete scientific explanation behind it.

[CtrlAltDel]

i dont think i am superstitious about anything.

[rock_26iin]

I get superstitious (or religious for that matter) only during exams

[Aishwarya]

I get superstitious (or religious for that matter) only during exams

True, reminds of the poster I had during my teen years, I beleive in the power of prayer, especially just before an exam!



Actually, people tend to get very touchy and senti when they have something crtical around the corner.. They get superstitious, pray more sincerely and all that.



I totally respect those who never pray at all, they seem so confident to me. But i respect those even more who pray all the time no matter what...



Anyways, coming back to superstitions. So let me tell you what happened yesterday with me... Actually i started the thread yesterday coz my right eye was really twitching and i was very apprehensive and all that. So about my day yesterday, my prof gave me the news that my research was published in a national website and that TV folks were coming by to talk to me. (I dont want to sound like a braggart. Please dont misunderstand me). My eye was still twitching badly.. and therfore couldnt actually enjoy the moment when I had people come by and congratulate me.. The moment of glory was gone, and I screwed it royally. Then I hear the news that I get 15 points below average in a math exam. I am totally shocked and the instructor tells me that I failed to submit entire assignment to start with. So I really dont know what to make of it. Be happy or sad.. but the purpose was achived: during the moments of my happiness instead of basking in the glory, I was preoccupied, and during the time when I have to be just sad, I was devastated.



I know, you think I am stupid. ANything other than that?

[Aishwarya, again!]

HEE HEE HEE HEE!!!



You know what... there was some error in grading and now I got the highest score in the second test. Me so happy. But the reason why I am telling you guys this is:



Twitching in right eye (considered bad for women and good for men and vice versa) implying that something bad is going to happen, IS COMPLETEL BULLSHIT.



It didnt work for me this time, and I hope it never works for you too.



What you sow, so you reap!

[Ur Grader]

HEE HEE HEE HEE!!!

You know what... there was some error in grading and now I got the highest score in the second test. Me so happy. But the reason why I am telling you guys this is:

Twitching in right eye (considered bad for women and good for men and vice versa) implying that something bad is going to happen, IS COMPLETEL BULLSHIT.

It didnt work for me this time, and I hope it never works for you too.

What you sow, so you reap!

Sorry to inform you that there was an MS excel error- the scores were wrongly reported as '100-x'. Afterall, one has to believe in su·per·sti·tions.

[Da Superstitious DRS]

Superstitions



Yups, I do have one extremely strong one. It goes this way, If I say out my plan in advance, it fails for sure, be it the matter of anything. I have seen this happening with me 100/100 times and there is no way this cud b wrong for me... I inform my mom "waito sweet heart am expecting a call from my friend, need to go out".. he sms's saying cancelled... I inform my manager that I may not be able to turn up for the dday as I have somework.. nopes.. I end up working.. I dono why but this really happens and I always, out of my excitement, end up leakin the secret out and it eventually fails....

[Aishwarya]

Superstitions

Yups, I do have one extremely strong one. It goes this way, If I say out my plan in advance, it fails for sure, be it the matter of anything. I have seen this happening with me 100/100 times and there is no way this cud b wrong for me... I inform my mom "waito sweet heart am expecting a call from my friend, need to go out".. he sms's saying cancelled... I inform my manager that I may not be able to turn up for the dday as I have somework.. nopes.. I end up working.. I dono why but this really happens and I always, out of my excitement, end up leakin the secret out and it eventually fails....

You know that happens with me as well.. Never looked at as a form of superstition though. I say I will def make it at a certain time at a certain place, that NEVER happens. I strongly claim something, and I end up doing completely opposite of that.. I wonder how amny of us go through the same thing...i

[VJ]

Hahahhaha! Hey Ash! This is Vijay Again!



Very Interesting thread! It depends on how you are looking at it. May be u r too observative in ur childhood that someone in ur family or elders or others believe in superstitions and then by looking at them u r feeling the same. Or u must have heard somewhere from someone, it caught ur mind and everytime it happens u get the same feeling and reflects the same thoughts. Its just like hereditary disease to me which is imbibed in you. Sorry Iam not saying that U have a disease. Iam just trying to explain by an example.



Otherwise! How do you believe that when one of ur eye blinks u get to know something is gonna happen. U r a logical/scientific (Phd.) human being. Stay away from all these to keep ur confidence growing.



I don't believe in any of these stuff. May be sometimes some wonders might happen without any scientific reasons, but then its all in our minds and how we take it. Different minds, so different thoughts.



@VJ

[Ustaad]

Also, I would appreciate if you can be honest about what superstitions you believe in. I guess I will be more comfortable with myself then!

Although I hate to admit it, everytime a freakin black cat (any cat for that matter!) crosses my path , i will stop for a minute . Even if it means i'am late for an interview or an appointment (for example).

Bad things have happened in the past ..when i challenged the above scenario.

One of my cousins for in a car wreck when he challenged this very fact..it could still be a coincidence but i'am not taking chances... thats just one example.. i can give you 10's of examples.. but i'll hold back for privacys sake.



I donot have a Ph.D yet but i sure do have a Masters . Anyways, the point is 'there are still some things that are inexplicable and or beyond the comprehension of science + logic.

[Lucifer]

The cat! I can never ever get over my superstition about cats. They don't even have to be black. Any cat that crosses my path ensures that I wait for someone else to pass before I do. There have been times when I have had to for wait over 40 minutes in desolated places for someone else to pass by, but I never jump the gun for this one thing to play out completely.



Then there is the number 13. No matter what I do, 13th of each month I cannot help but be paranoid. Not even the date, anything that concerns the number 13 makes me paranoid - house no 13, 13th phone call that day, et al. And let's not even start talking about Friday, the 13th!

[Aishwarya]

The cat! I can never ever get over my superstition about cats. They don't even have to be black. Any cat that crosses my path ensures that I wait for someone else to pass before I do. There have been times when I have had to for wait over 40 minutes in desolated places for someone else to pass by, but I never jump the gun for this one thing to play out completely.

Then there is the number 13. No matter what I do, 13th of each month I cannot help but be paranoid. Not even the date, anything that concerns the number 13 makes me paranoid - house no 13, 13th phone call that day, et al. And let's not even start talking about Friday, the 13th!

Hey, i read several posts of yours and I cant imagine a person like you still believing in the cat thingi. The 40 minute wait! I am not judging you here, as I mentioned earlier, it just makes me feel more comfortable with myself.



See the point of education is to look beyond superstition and make us think rationally. Despite all the efforts, we fail to do so. Many mentioned that it is because of what we learnt when we were kids. My mother is a teacher and she doesnt believe in all these things at all. Infact, she made it a point to see to it that we didnt either (we are three of us!).



So, for me, I think it is out of lack of confidence or something that I tend to believe in such things.



The other thing that I strongly believe in is Astrology. My grandfather was an astrologer and whatever he predicted about me came out right. Did I make it happen that way? I dont know, may be I did. Did I mould my tastes and actions so as to match what my grandfather predicted, may be I did.Question is Astrology a superstition or science? How can plantes decide our future?

[ustaad]

So, for me, I think it is out of lack of confidence or something that I tend to believe in such things.

believe in yourself first. I doesn't matter what you believe in as long it does no harm to others and the society.



did you notice many hindus/desis prefer to put their right foot first because its auspicious.



btw,cats are actually happy that i donot run over them and they feel special when i wait to let them pass by.



i'd rather spare the pussy than running over it.

[Amazon]

Hi Folks!!!



its just how u take the things...As said by VJ & Aishwarya...

We just think 100% to go for a party and all the sudden it gets cancelled(and ur eye is twitching since morning) rite??? Its just b'coz u were seeing the situation in only one direction...u were so sure for the party and its just a sheer coincidence tht...it got cancelled...and u blame ur eye for tht..

If you had ur mind occupied with both the cases ...like may go and may not go for the party....then u wouldn't have brought this superstitious thing into highlite...



-----------------AA

Think like a man of action and act like a man of thought.

[CtrlAltDel]

...is Astrology a superstition or science? How can plantes decide our future?

astrology is a load of bullshit! planets millions of miles away cannot decide our future...its impossible!



believers say if its the "gravitational pull" of the planets that affect us. since every object with mass has gravitational pull, mountains or huge man made structures on earth that are nearer to us shud affect us more.



the astrologers keep making a series of predictions and as per the law of averages, its inevitable that a few of them would come true everytime while lot more wudnt. the astrologers n their followers simple publisize the "predictions" that have coincidentally come true and dont talk abt the ones that didnt!

[KK]

Astrology is all about empirical study and observations of people behaviour is based on time of birth. And its not exactly the year of the calender or the time on your watch they look at - instead they decide time on the planets position. Its not about the gravitation pull or distance of the planets that they are interested in. Its presumed that Astrology has been written with sufficient samples in the experiment. As with any empirical study there could be errors and not all predictions apply to a single person.



I dont believe in Astrology at individual level, but certainly appreciate it from human psychology point of view. Indeed, time of birth is a poor premise. Also, mastering Astrology is an art and only few people can be good at it.

[Aishwarya]

...is Astrology a superstition or science? How can plantes decide our future?

astrology is a load of bullshit! planets millions of miles away cannot decide our future...its impossible!

believers say if its the "gravitational pull" of the planets that affect us. since every object with mass has gravitational pull, mountains or huge man made structures on earth that are nearer to us shud affect us more.

the astrologers keep making a series of predictions and as per the law of averages, its inevitable that a few of them would come true everytime while lot more wudnt. the astrologers n their followers simple publisize the "predictions" that have coincidentally come true and dont talk abt the ones that didnt!

More than 50% of the wrold population believes in superstitions, same set of people are religious too... I have never found anyone who is not religious but is superstitious... Some of the religious people are very rational and dont beleive in superstition. But is makes me wonder, how much has religion to do with superstition? Is superstition an outcome of misinterpretetion of religion? (Other by product is ofcourse fantatism..)

[Peter Camenzind]

Coming back to **********religious too... I have never *****religious but****** religious people are******has religion to do******of religion?

religious stuff again ...



i think soul searching sp can help u out.. dude where r u ??

[Religious Aishu]

Coming back to **********religious too... I have never *****religious but****** religious people are******has religion to do******of religion?

religious stuff again ...

i think soul searching sp can help u out.. dude where r u ??

Hee hee hee... I like that topic.... Help me guys!!!!!!!

[Portuguese Man-Of-War]

When my left eye twitches/throbs, I get nervous that something bad is going to happen, and feel fidgety and apprehensive and generally wary, and that is a lousy state of mind in itself, which means that I did go through a bad patch. Hence, I believe superstitions do work.

[VJ]

Hey come on everyone!



Don't be childish! There is no sufficient evidence in all these stuff. Somebody prove it and let this world know.



It depends on how you interpret it.



Eyes blinking, fingers trembling, body shaking, Astrology deciding our future, Something gonna happen . Doesn't it seem ridiculous?



Its more an optimistic thing rather a complex reality. I don't know. Don't come after me now.........



@VJ

[Suchi]

I am fairly religious person and I am doing my PhD ( I have a thread on that). I am trained to think logically, but why is it that even people like me tend to take such Bull Shit seriously. I can't give any rationale for why I am doing that. May be it is lack in confidence or I dont know. Anybody has anything to say about that.

Let me ask you a question? What is the definition of Superstition?

Beleif based on faith and not necessarily logical? Would you agree?

If so, why is your example BS and being a devoted religious person not?

What do you call 'Belief in a God', if not superstition?



So, the answer is -

It is your same stupid mind that makes you believe in God, will make you fear a superstition.

[gyanster]

Tell me about it.. My roommates are so religious/superstitious it drives me nuts.. they don't eat meat or drink on Mondays. But Sunday nights are ok.



So I ask, what happens to the meat and alcohol which is in your stomach on Monday. They say they should not consume it on Monday.



Ok, agreed. Then they go according to Indian time, so they are eating meat/drinking on Monday (Australian time) but not on Monday (Indian time).



Waht stupidity..