Superstition Essay

Speech On Superstition
Introduction
"Religion, Devotion and Love for God is great and should be followed as a personal belief, but
Superstition is the black market practice in the field of devotion and should be strongly deterred"
A nation that endeavors to be a superpower and wants to join the league of global leaders in
knowledge, science and technology should declare a revolution to eradicate all ills like superstition
and black magic at all levels from its very roots.
If we look at India, one might argue that India being a land of villages and snake charmers is not
free from the evils of superstition, witch–hunting, black magic, exorcism and the like. The number of
superstitions and blind beliefs in India is very large as the Indian social fabric is made of people
belonging to various religions, cultures, ethnicity and languages. There are many...show more
content...
No religion ordains or justifies black magic, superstition, human sacrifice, witchcraft or any kind of
occult practices. Any resistance to superstition or black magic should not be construed as
anti–religion or against the freedom to practice religion which is provided as a fundamental right
under the Constitution. One can be faithful to one's religion of choice without being superstitious. In
India, superstition is part of the traditional fabric; hence tougher laws are considered antithetical to
our cultural ethos.
The problem arises when religion becomes a tool of money making and dupery in the hands of
vested interests to propagate or promote superstition and irrational practices such as predictive
powers to parrots and other animals, exorcist powers to tantriks and Fathers, etc. It becomes a
serious issue when a so–called cure is considered a miracle and is attributed to a deity or a living
person like the so called gurus or god–men to boost following in such beliefs which in turn has
become a means for making money for the gurus
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Superstitious beliefs have transcended time, being seemingly inherent within traditional and modern
societies. There are four prime types of superstitious beliefs: socially shared superstitions, occult
experiences, superstitious beliefs part of a wider global view or cosmology, and personal
superstitions (Jahoda, 1970). Examples of these include black cats, out of body sensations, religious
practice, and singular rituals respectively. Though studies considering this topic are scarce the
primary finding among the existing literature demonstrates that when faced with unknown situations
individuals are likely to enlist superstitious strategies or beliefs (Vyse, 1997). In essence, in order to
minimise unfavourable outcomes and maximise positive outcomes humans actively strive to
understand, and subsequently control their environments (Case, Fitness, Cairns & Stevenson, 2004).
In order to gain control people will often feed into the so called 'illusion of control'. A previous
experiment by Matute and Blanco (2014) required participants to undertake a computerised program
within which for durations of 1s the computer screen would flash blue–and–white. The participants'
task was to keep the screen black for as long as possible. Instructions required using the keyboard's
spacebar to cause the screen to stay black. They were told should they succeed the screen would
stay black for another 5s, conversely should they fail the flashes would reappear immediately. The
sequence was

Superstitions speech Essay
I'm doing my speech on superstitions. Wulp wish me luck, break a leg, knock on wood.
Superstitions, what are they and where did they come from? Are they true are they false or is there
some sort of reasoning behind them? Or are they simply just a whole lot of mumbo jumbo. I mean
..... awww man (meeoow) there goes a black cat man talk about bad luck it just took off with any
luck that I had, (gosh darn – click fingers well lets see if its true...Mrs Maslen whadda ya reckon am
I gonna get an A for this or what? C'mon c'mon you can tell me. Damn you cat (shake fist
meeooow). Where did that superstition come from? For heavens sake how pathetic is it! Anyways
for most people these are simply old wives tales and silly misconstrued stories,...show more content...
When you look at them most superstitions and taboos have to do with some kind of luck be it
good or bad. No one is 100% certain why this is but is believed to have been started centuries ago.
Peoples knowledge of things around them was limited so when people were having bad luck and
something good happened to them, they decided that it must have something to do with superstition
a taboo so it became a superstition. And the other way round they had good luck something bad
happened it was a superstition. The origins of just about every superstition has been lost in time
never to be found because people never wrote them down they just passed them down from
generation to generation. So the origins of them will probably be lost for ever.
The Webster dictionary states superstition as:
1. An ignorant or irrational belief, often provoked by fear, and is based on an assumption of cause
and effect, contrary to known scientific facts and principles.
2. Any practice inspired by such beliefs.
3. An unreasonable belief or impression.
I ask you now, what will bring us luck? A horseshoe, throwing salt over your left shoulder, who
knows? And what about bad luck, Friday the 13th, a black cat, (meow) shuddup, aww man where
was I?, walking under a

Superstition in William Shakespeare's Macbeth Throughout Elizabethan times, Witches and
witchcraft were considered to be in existence. Seeing a large proportion of the female community
being condemned to death, which involved either drowning, hanging or being burnt at the stake was
quite plausible at this time. Such savage practices were urged on by macabre and fevered fantasy of
the supernatural. In my essay I intend examining how Shakespeare deployed this obsession of
superstition in Macbeth and how it is a crucial element of the play.
To begin with, the tone of the paranormal theme is set right from the beginning when...show more
content...
The audience make up their mind of whether or not the witches actually have a powerful influence
over Macbeth by basing their interpretation of whether his actions result from personal choice or
from outside influence and, whether the witches are independent creatures playing on Macbeths
mind who ultimately have an effect on his future dealings, or representatives of destiny, whose
prophecies are only declaration of the inevitable.
Macbeth retains a heroic aura in the view of the audience as long as he either is able to use his free
will and personal choice to resist the witches' external evil influence.
However in the second act we see how Macbeth fails to resist the witches influence and loses this
heroic banner and turning into the villain, he no longer attempts to stifle the guilt in his conscience,
but instead seems to accept the murder as an inevitable act beyond his control, saying, "I go, and it
is done. The bell invites me" this type of language is used to signify the pivotal point when Macbeth
surrenders himself to the witches and their supernatural powers.
At this point there is little doubt in the audiences eyes that Macbeth is being externally dominated,
this idea would merit Macbeth, to a certain degree, some sympathy. This scene would probably be
staged with Macbeth occupying a doleful looking complexion

Superstition Essay
We have all seen or practiced a superstition. Crossing our fingers for good luck or avoiding the
path of a black cat. Some are as old as the written word. They have woven themselves into the fabric
of everyday society. Probably the most superstious group in our society is the athlete.
Baseball players will not step on the foul line as they leave the field of play. Football players have
exact pregame rituals that can not be interrupted. The hockey fans of the Detroit Red Wings will
throw an octopus onto the ice after their team scores a goal. The Red Sox did not will a World
Series all of those years, simply because they trade Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The Cubs are still
paying for not allowing a goat into one of their games. While all...show more content...
They can bond together and wallow in each others sorrow.
Being superstitious is something that most players will not admit to being, but the rest of the team
will not talk to a pitcher pitching a no hitter. It is an unwritten rule that even if you do not believe
in the superstition, you still do not challenge it. A pitcher who was in the middle of pitching a
perfect game was receiving a cup of water from the same bat boy in between innings. Before the
eighth inning the batboy did not give him his cup of water. Panic set in, the ritual had been broken.
On his way to the pitcher's mound, all he could think of was the cup of water. He went on to pitch
the perfect game, but the effect the superstition had on him is evident. His most memorable moment
of the game was not getting that cup of water. Over thirty years later, this is what he remembers.
The common denominator behind most sport superstitions is confidence. By following these
idiosyncrasies, the player maintains his confidence. A pitcher on a winning streak will keep using
the same undershirt and socks without washing them. Not doing this will upset the baseball gods
and they will end his winning streak. In reality it is just an extra boost to his confidence. An extra
confident pitcher can make the out pitch when it is needed. Another result of superstition is rhythm.
A basketball player will go through an exact routine prior to attempting a free throw. This superstition
/routine

Superstition : Superstition And Science
A universally accepted part of our humanity that allows us to engage in a form of communication
necessary to use our brains and imagination simultaneously. "Thales understood what happened and
made use of the event to state the law of cause and effect perhaps, the most brilliant in insight of all
time: for every physical effect, there is a physical cause. Causality abolishes superstition" (Park 31).
Superstition and Science have created an interesting juxtaposition in life. Superstition is not based on
reasoning, it is based on magic, culture, and support, in a time of uncertainty.
CULTURE AND SUPERSTITION There are many different types of culture in today's world.
Superstition is a part of every culture regardless of what culture you...show more content...
Do the fishermen really believe that? In most cases, no, but they are not willing to take the chance
and defy the odds. In a similar case, Alex Fradera cited a "Famous chain letter that went through the
journalistic community in the United States. Many knew that it was bunk, but they did not want to
tempt fate by not copying the letter and sending it on" (3). Can we attribute the journalists
forwarding the letter as not willing to defy the odds like the in the example of the fishermen? In
Hong Kong, there is a wishing tree (a Banyan Tree). On the Chinese New Year oranges are pierced
and threaded with string so that they can be thrown into the tree in hopes that you will have good luck
. The higher in the tree you throw it the more likely you will have good luck. They also believe that
"The number 4 is unlucky therefore, buildings are not made with floors that end in 4 because it
sounds like the word death in Cantonese" (Films Media Group, Superstitious Minds).
Positive Superstition It is natural to believe in magic, after all we are taught this as children, think
of Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy. "A routine becomes superstitious when a particular action is
given special, magical significance" (Vyse 177). The concept of positive superstition helps to
reassure us. For those who believe in superstition, they believe it helps with the outcome of an event.
As an example, a student chews gum to help calm their

Julius Caesar Superstition Essay
Not everyone believes in superstition, and unfortunately for Julius Caesar, he was one of the
non–believers. When reading through the excerpts, we see Caesar deny the possibility that the
superstition that his wife was having was a lot more than just a dream. Caesar denying this
dream as possible outcome of his day, sealed his fate to die at the senate. Choosing to listen to
Decius was not a bad option at the moment for Caesar, for Decius is a more trustworthy man,
addressed Caesar as a more strong and respectable man, and told of some consequences of not
going to the senate. After looking through the text, it is reasonable enough to justify Caesar's
choice of not listening to Calphurnia's argument but listening to Decius's argument instead. Being
a women in Julius Caesar's time, was not a good title to have, and was often worse than better. As
Caesar stated in anger towards Calphurnia "I am ashamed i did yield to them [Calphurnia's fears]" (2
2 69). Caesar just completely disregards his own wife's opinion and even feels ashamed of...show
more content...
Decius addressed him as this when he said "To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar" (2 2 56).
This leads Caesar to believe that he is mighty and brave enough to go to the senate. Calphurnia
did not take Caesar for a brave man who could handle the situation. She probably thought that
under the circumstances it was not needed, but to a very egotistical person like Caesar, it is very
important. Decius also knew how to turn her twisted nightmare into a vision of accomplishment
for Caesar. Decius figured that the vision of blood was all the Romans' cheer for how great of a
leader Caesar is. This made Caesar feel even better about being crowned. So instead of going for the
person who did not see that he could handle himself, he chose Decius who showed that he thought of
Caesar to be mighty

Superstition is considered a myth to most people, but for the ancient Romans, this was a historical
belief. For the Romans, believing in superstition was a very ordinary thing. To them superstition
explained the supernatural and strengthened their relationships with the gods (The Roman Empire).
In the play Julius Caesar, the author William Shakespeare uses superstition repeatedly to affect the
plot as well as the characters. Superstition in the play is used to foreshadow Caesar's death, impact
Brutus' actions in the battlefield and to emphasize the Roman's connection to superstition and fate.
One of the biggest superstitious beliefs in Rome at that time was the power to see the future; which
Caesar's future was to die. Julius Caesar was...show more content...
This form of writing and effect was found very entertaining for people of the theatre during the
Elizabethan times (Alchin). Without superstition, and the culture beliefs of the public back then
implemented into the play, nobody would have watched or read Julius Caesar, thus making it a
failure. Superstition is not something used to only foreshadow events, but it also has a key effect
on the characters and the actions that they take. One of the most notable characters that have been
affected by superstition was Brutus. Brutus was a man who was a friend of Caesar and as the play
went along he joined Cassius in the scheme to murder their leader, Caesar. After Caesar's death
Brutus was drowned with subconscious guilt and was visited by Caesar's ghost. The ghost was a
manifestation of Brutus' guilt and it told Brutus that they will meet in Philippi. Due to this
superstition, Brutus believed that he was meant to die to meet Caesar's ghost, so he committed
suicide after the battle (5.5.55). This showcases the importance of superstition in changing the
characters actions and affecting their lives. By creating the ghost of Caesar, Shakespeare not only
shows the effect superstition has on Brutus but highlights Brutus' beliefs and how he would commit
suicide for his belief. This act by Brutus sets the tone for the play which is one of the main reasons
why the play is considered a tragedy. Without Brutus, the play would not be a tragedy, because Brutus

Superstition And Religion
Superstition and Religion: How It Affects Western and Eastern Medicine My personal experiences
with religion and superstition are skewed due to the evolvement of the way I perceive things today.
Furthermore, I can easily realize that I do not have this one set mind where everything should
revolve around God and the Catholic Church. Taking time to understand why certain things happen
for a reason, and gradually becoming aware of what people choose to believe in shaped my personal
views on religion and the beliefs of unseen forces today. Based on Marvin Harris, the world may
never have a solid answer as to why and how cultures decided to establish religious beliefs as well
as superstition. As for the Hmong culture, however, there is a sign of major controversy with beliefs
in religion and superstition. The practices of Eastern and Western medicine will meet in the middle
despite culture clashes.
The reasons behind why people believe in religion as well as how religious culture has evolved
can be seen in Marvin Harris' article, "Why We Became Religious". Harris, an anthropologist,
defines the differences between spiritual beliefs and superstition. People perceive the importance of
the role of spirituality as well as the unseen. Harris exemplifies this point with the term "mana",
which means "magical power" in the Melanesian language. He goes on to discuss how Western
culture expresses the concepts of luck with baseball players who touch their caps or spit and rub into

Superstitions : Superstitions And Superstitions
Elizabethan Era: Superstitions The topic I chose was "superstitions". When I started my research
I had no idea that some of our superstitions are a copy of their superstitions. I never our
superstitions weren't just made up by us overnight, but I did not realize how much our
superstitions originated from the Elizabethan Era. In researching this paper, I learned where
some of our superstitions came from, some new superstitions, and some explanation for some
superstitions, that make you stop and think. We're going to start off by talking about some of our
superstitions and how they are a continuation of the Elizabethan Era superstitions. One of our
traditions is actually their superstition. Which is saying "Bless you" to someone who sneezes.
Now think about this, we have been saying bless you to someone when they sneeze for as long as
anyone can remember. We don't think about it, it's just something we done even to strangers. We
just consider it a friendly gesture, but back then it was considered way more than a friendly
gesture. In the Elizabethan Era, they thought that when you opened your mouth to sneeze you
were giving a demon the entrance into your body. So they would say bless you to warn off any
possibility off evil and harm. Another thing we gained from the Elizabethan Era is the song "Ring
around the Rosie". If it was not for the Elizabethan Era we would not have that song that we used
to skip around to as a little kid. We use the song as a happy thing in life,

Superstition : Superstition And Superstition
Jenee Smith English 1102 March 1, 2016 Superstition Superstition refers to unreasonable fear and
belief of something that is unknown. The extent of this belief and the fear is common, not only
among the illiterate, tribal and senior citizens, but even amongst the educated ones, and the people
guided by rational thoughts. Superstitions contain various types, and diverse people of various
countries are influenced by these assertions. Some people consider it as a bad sign when someone
sneezes while going out. The cry of a lizard or call from behind is measured to be a sign of somewhat
not good Level the methodically fundamental Western people reflect thirteen the unlucky number.
Behind all these superstitions, people may have some experience or unreasonable belief which has
been in common practice from generation to generation. As a matter of fact, every community is
subject to superstition in some form or the other. There seems to be no person or community being
entirely free from the superstition nature of this world (DuprГ©, p.23). It should be noted that in our
opinion, the notion is natural to any human being. There is nothing to think about it. Even
Shakespeare said that there are more things in heaven, and earth thus are dreamt of in our entire
philosophy. As a matter of fact, sometimes such things happen, which cannot be justified for any
reason with limited human knowledge. But if it is found that superstition proves harmful, it should
be our duty to shake off through

The Power of Superstition Essays
The Power of Superstition
A superstition is the belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic
or chance, or a false conception of causation. Superstition is also an irrational abject attitude of mind
toward the supernatural, nature, or God or a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary
(Merriam–Webster). Superstitions are the most common relic of the past handed down from the
ages. When & where did superstition come from? There is an abundance of superstitions to date.
Basic superstitions can be broken down into three broad categories: Predictive, Causative and
Conversion. Predictive superstitions are when people believe that a particular superstition will
predict an oncoming event....show more content...
The history of superstition states that the ladder and ground forms a triangle representing a holy
symbol from Egyptian times or a holy trinity from Christianity, therefore, by walking through the
triangle is denoted as bad luck (Origin).
Throwing salt over your left shoulder is the most known conversion superstition. Throwing salt over
your left shoulder diverts the bad luck; you received when you spilt the salt. This superstition started
in 1881, it states you have spilt salt on the table, and then thrown over your left shoulder the bad
luck is averted (Opie, Tatem 343).
Another common superstition is Friday the 13th. Many reasons exist for why Friday the 13th was
deemed to be unlucky. It is believed to have started at the expelling of Adam & Eve from Garden
of Eden. People believe that they were sent from paradise on Friday.
It is also believe that the Noah's flood started and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. It is also known
that there were 13 at the Last Supper when Judas betrayed Jesus. Judas was the thirteenth guest at the
table for the Last Supper (Origin).
Friday is regarded to be the most superstitious day compared to all of the other days of the week.
There is no 13th floor on the elevator in majority of the buildings that have more than thirteen
floors. Needless to say, there is a 13th floor in the building but it is unused by occupants do to the
belief that business would not do

Influences Of Superstitions
The influence of superstitions on people`s personal life What is superstition? It is belief which is
not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, but is connected with old ideas about magic,
religious belief or legends which are passed down from our ancestor. For instance: Clay "pepper"
on a wall believed to protect the inhabitants of the house from harm. The reason this is named a
superstition is because no one can prove that any "pepper "able to protect from damaging and
devils. Furthermore, "pepper" can`t defend, it is only describing of any person in his or her own
way. The word superstition is generally utilized to refer...show more content...
Because then you will destroy your own luck.
* If you see a black cat by chance then you will have bad luck.
* When you will eat noodless don't cut the noodle because the longer the noodle the more you live
*Don't eat while lying down because you will come back as a snake in your next life
* Don't cut your hair on Wednesday or you will have bad luck
* A left eye twitch is a sign of bad luck. A right eye twitch means good luck
* A salt shaker shouldn't be passed from hand to hand instead, it must be placed on the table for the
other person to pick it up themselves.
*If while sweeping the broom hits the feet of a single person that person never marries.
*Never leave your handbag on the floor or your money will run away.
*Chimneys should always be capped or witches might climb down it. People tend to believe events
to supernatural causes most often under two

Examples Of Superstitions
A superstition is a set of thoughts that are incongruent with reality, which lead to a series of doings,
behaviours and beliefs that an object or action that is not related to a group of events influences its
outcomes (Akova, 2011; Damisch, Stoberock, & Mussweiler, 2010). There are superstitious people
all around the world, with different religions, beliefs, cultures and traditions (Akova, 2011).
Superstitions can serve to give either good or bad luck, some examples can be: crossing fingers, four
leaf clovers, knocking on wood, breaking a mirror, seeing a black cat, opening an umbrella inside the
house, or even a set of steps self–made before an event (Akova, 2011).
Skinner proved that superstitious behaviours do not only occur in humans by doing an experiment
with a group of hungry pigeons. For a few minutes each day, he gave the...show more content...
This paranormal belief may be the result of those with an external locus of control attempting to deal
with the uncontrollability of their lives. On the contrary, individuals who present an internal locus of
control do not necessarily hold superstitions, probably because they do not have the need of coping
with the uncontrollability of their lives (Stanke & Taylor, 2004).
Religiosity and superstition
In many studies, it has been found that religiosity correlates with the occurrence of superstitious
behaviours and paranormal beliefs. Apparently, a higher degree of religiosity correlates with a
higher frequency of reporting beliefs in paranormal experiences or the supernatural (Stanke & Taylor,
2004).
However, religion considers superstitions as extravagant and irrational, but religion itself could be
practiced in a superstitious way, not actually believing in god but praying once in a while and
attending church "just in case" (Delacroix & Guillard, 2008).
Superstitions as an adaptive method by Michael

Superstition, often a word that is used to describe an event as bad or good luck, failure,
supernatural and the world that is unknown. Superstition played an important role that took place
several times in the story. A belief that killing a spider is a bad sign, touching snakeskin with bare
hands can only bring bad luck, and the belief that a hairball can tell a persons future, are all
examples of some of the superstitions found throughout their journey. Throughout this novel, Jim
and Huckleberry Finn rely on superstition rather than the use of common sense or logical reasoning
because they'd rather not face the consequences of reality. It also may be used due to their lack of
education. These two characters are able to use their belief in superstition to create an excuse for
their good or bad luck throughout their journey. The use of superstition throughout this story is more
than just the use of humor but also used to make fun of country folk. Twain explains in the story
how human nature tends to regard something as being caused by someone or something else, for the
wrong reasons. It is human nature to make things up to make ourselves feel better when we can't
explain certain things.
Twain describes superstition and religion as opposites in Huckleberry Finn. At the beginning of the
novel, we see Huck living on edge with the sophisticated Widow Douglas and the strict Miss
Watson. Widow Douglas begins her teachings with Huck by calling him down for dinner, and reciting

Literature Review On Superstition
1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW Superstition Beliefs in superstitions have persisted throughout the
history of human being and have been transmitted from generation to generation until the present
time (Vyse, 1997). Therefore, Subbotsky (2009) stated that superstitious belief or magical belief is a
fundamental property of the human mind. What exactly are superstitions? Numerous definitions are
formed based on different human society after many years of research in the field. Womack (1992)
defined superstition as the repetitive, unusual and rigid behaviors which could bring desired positive
effect to the believers without any causal relationship between the behavior and the outcome of an
event. Another definition of superstition refers to individuals'...show more content...
In other words, self–efficacy is the individuals' abilities to have control over their own functioning
as well as the occasions that affect their lives (Bandura, 1994). In contemporary research,
self–efficacy is increasingly recognized as a reliable predictor of an individual's task performance
in comparison to their actual capability of accomplishing the task or their past experiences
(Bandura, 1977; Sharma & Nasa, 2014). Moreover, self–efficacy is also identified as a more
consistent predictor of future behavioral outcomes compared to any other motivation construct (as
cited in Damisch, 2008, p. 25). In fact, many studies have provided empirical evidences for the
strong influence of self–efficacy beliefs on task performance (Cherian & Jacob, 2013; Ede, Hwang,
& Feltz, 2011; Goulao, 2014; Heazlewood & Burke, Self–efficacy and its relationship to selected
sport psychological constructs in the prediction of performance in ironman triathlon, 2011; Honicke
& Broadbent, 2016; Lai & Chen,

Curses And Superstition
Curses, Superstition, and Obsession In life you'll eventually hear a story that includes superstition
and curses. At a point one won't believe it and sometimes you fall for it. If you're a sports fan then
you'll hear stories about those two even more. Sometimes superstition is passed down by
generations for example; I grew up knowing that breaking a mirror is bad. The more you hear
about superstition, the more it brain washes you. Some use it as an excuse to blame it for something
like losing a bet. But do you think superstition is harmful or not? I didn't believe in superstition at
first until something happened to me which changed the way I look at it now. But first let me tell
you what superstition is. Superstition is the belief in supernatural things, for instance, getting bad
luck for going under the ladder. Now, to me superstition is harmful because of the events that
happened to the Cubs and Red Sox. The Chicago Cubs have suffered a lot throughout the years,
until last year when they won the world series after 100 years. The cause for the suffering was
because the Cubs were under a "curse". It all started in October of 1945 when William Sanis
brought his pet goat to the Cubs game. The game was going well until people started complaining
about the goat's bad odor. Eventually, causing Sanis and his goat to get kicked out. Sanis's last
words were, "you'll never win a world series again", and these words became reality. Consequently,
the Cubs started failing since that

The Importance Of Superstitions
There are two types of people in this world, the people who follow superstitions and people that
dont. Superstitions play a big role in today's society to the point where people will go about their
day due to a superstition. If a superstition that told them they were going to have bad luck because
of walking under a ladder, they are probably going to be more likely to believe something that is
not true. An event like this took place in the book ВЁJulius CaesarВЁ when Julius was told to
beware of the ides of march he did not listen. Some say that believing this saying would have saved
his life. However it must be taken into account the other reasons why it could have happened. In this
essay we will analyze and explain on why superstitions are not to be trusted and followed.
One way superstitions are influencing our lives is people believing certain triggers of good and bad
luck, according to the us news ВЁ25 percent of people in the U.S. say they are "very" or
"somewhat" superstitious in generalВЁ (Colino 1). When people see a black cat or a penny on
the wrong side, it is generally associated with bad luck. In reality a perfectly good penny was just
passed up due to ВЁbad luckВЁ. Most of the time its just as harmless as passing up a penny, but
that's not the case with everyone. Sometimes people let superstitions keep them from doing everyday
tasks. This is important because people are letting rumors and myths that have a pretty big chance of
being incorrect completely change

Superstition
Superstition "is a belief, half–belief, or practice for which there appears to be no rational
substance." People tend to believe that they have their own certain knowledge or evidence that
supports religious beliefs or philosophical reasoning's. This leads people into believing that they
have more control than the reality and actuality of all situations and circumstances. Many customs
that we take for granted as being a "normal" part of our culture have actually evolved from
superstitious beliefs of the past. There are two examples that grabbed my attention the most out of
the video. The first one being in 1948 American Psychologist BF Skinner reported some unusual
animal behavior. He placed a succession of hungry pigeons inside a cage,...show more content...
References http://www.truthpizza.org/logic/stition.htm http://skepdic.com/confirmbias.html

Don't go under that ladder, it's bad luck! Try to avoid the black cats! Nothing good ever happens on
Friday the Thirteenth. How many times have you heard these common myths? Most people assume
these superstitions to be nothing more than little stories you hear as a kid; an alternative to nursery
rhymes and children's books. Little fables of the man who broke a mirror and had seven years bad
luck might seem foolish to most. However, what if they were true?
A lot of people really see these as being quite true. These beliefs can take their affects on the ones
who truly believe in them. However, not all of these affects are negative. Nevertheless, how do these
superstitions affect the person who holds on to them, if they even do so? Are...show more content...
Of course, depending on where you are, some of these common superstitions change. Some of the
more commonly believed superstitions are trick–or–treating on Halloween, the number thirteen
being unlucky, and the belief that Friday the thirteenth is a bad omen, among others. Maybe you
have even heard of some of the others like a black cat passing your path, knocking on wood,
breaking a mirror, as well as spilling salt (Sanguinarius).
People have been believing in superstitions for generations upon generations. While some people
believe that the presence of these beliefs has been decreasing over the years, they are actually quite
wrong. Gradually over time, these beliefs have become more and more prevalent in society, instead
decreasing as many people would believe (Damisch). In the past few decades, more and more people
admit to having these superstitious beliefs and behaviors than past generations have. Though, how
have these beliefs have been affected over time?
At what time were most people affected by these harbingers of fortune? The fact is that people
were most superstitious before the discovery of science, a fact most people wouldn't find all too
surprising. People didn't have this sense of a definite answer to what the world around them was. So
instead, they would draw conclusions to this world around them. Some people justified it with
mythology and legends about gods and others went to superstitions.

Superstition Essay

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Superstition Essay