Superstitions

Many people, including me, have superstitions about the world around them. From walking next to a black cat to breaking a mirror, people seem to be afraid of the most trivial things. However, there is a method to their madness. Superstitions, of course, have their origins but that is generally not why people follow them. They are usually observed based on the principal of “luck”. For example, if one was to open up an umbrella in a house, they may hesitate because it is said to bring about bad “luck” in the future. The reason why superstitions cannot be easily dismissed as phony is because it is impossible to prove them not true. When somebody consciously commits an unspeakable act such as stepping on a crack in a sidewalk, he or she may start to become paranoid and begin to notice all the little things in his or her day that go wrong. On the contrary, when someone receives “good karma” by doing an act of kindness, he or she may begin to notice all the things in his or her day that go right.
Superstitions are also observed on the principle of fear. If I was to tell someone something ridiculous, such as drinking a glass of orange juice will decrease a life span by 18 minutes, that person would become hesitant to drink a cup of orange juice. Of course, that fact is not true and most people would know this. However, is it really worth the risk to take a sip of that juice? What if what I said actually was true? That is a common thought process of superstitious people. When a ladder is leaning against a building, for example, I always choose to walk around it. It takes no additional effort to walk around the ladder and is less risky, I figure.