• Before you landed here and saw the photo above, did you notice that today is Friday the 13th? Or did you take note of the date several days ago? Have you mentioned it to anyone, even casually? And have you done anything special – or avoided doing something – to keep your luck today?
• Do you ever “knock wood”?
• Do you own an article of clothing or piece of jewelry that you consider lucky?
• Do you ever “knock wood”?
• Do you own an article of clothing or piece of jewelry that you consider lucky?
• Do you make a wish on your birthday? (Oh, you don't think of that as a superstition? Don’t pretend to claim that it’s “goal-setting.” Why else do you try to blow out the candles with one breath? Who says that we don't pick up superstitions from our culture?)
• Have you ever gone out of your way to do something – other than studying – before a big test in school, just for luck?
• Do you hesitate to speak ill of another person, for fear that what you say might come true?
• Do you ever avoid talking with others about a plan or hope – say, a promising new job that you’ve applied for – for fear of jinxing it?
Now, do you still think you’re immune to superstition?
Where You Stand
Only one in four Americans admits to being superstitious, when asked by Gallup pollsters on the telephone. In fact, nearly half of the people surveyed claim to hold no superstitious beliefs whatsoever.
Frankly, I doubt those numbers. Like any survey that relies solely on self-assessment, Gallup’s doesn’t just invite skepticism; it positively screams out for it. The very word “superstition” is so pejorative, few will fess up to it, especially to a stranger on the phone. Face it – would you admit to holding “a belief, based on fear and ignorance, that is inconsistent with the known laws of science or with what is generally considered true and rational”? That’s how Webster’s defines superstition. You might as well confess that you’re crazy. If you answered the questions above honestly, I'd bet you doubt Gallup's conclusions, too.
Perhaps I am not superstitious after all.
ReplyDeleteI do not hesitate to speak ill of other people. Moreover, I often speak ill of other people in hope that what I say might come true.