How superstitious are you? While most of us associate superstition with primitive cultures and backward peoples, I find superstitious beliefs and behaviors rampant in our modern, urbane society.
Superstition is defined as a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, of or in the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence or proceeding. It comes from the Latin word superstes which means standing over. The earliest English uses of the word refer critically to Catholic practices such as censing, rosaries, holy water and other practices that Protestants believed went beyond, or were set up over, their own interpretation of the New Testament practices of Christianity. From there the uses of the term expanded to include non-Christian religious practices or any beliefs that seem unfounded or primitive in light of modern knowledge.
One interesting superstition arose between 1347and 1351 when the Black Plague swept over Europe. Desirous of overcoming the vast devastation wrought by the disease, Pope Gregory I passed a law requiring that people say God bless you whenever somebody sneezed. Doing so was thought to check the spread of the illness and to cure those who already had it.
Superstition comes most often into play in circumstances where the attainment of a desired given outcome falls beyond human control. Common examples include seafaring undertakings, sporting events, marriage ceremonies and theatrical productions. The superstitious belief or behavior is most often thought to influence outcomes in a manner that avoids a negative consequence, akin to removing or preventing a jinx. Actors say Break a leg instead of Good Luck, sailors distain killing an albatross, baseball players avoid stepping on the foul line, all in an effort to assure that things otherwise beyond their control will go smoothly.
In everyday life I suspect that those most prone to superstitious beliefs may be suffering from an overactive superego. When one is prone to self- recrimination when things don’t turn out well, superstition may serve to soften the blow. If we feel and believe that we have taken the proper steps and precautions to help secure a desired outcome, it provides us with a buffer from the harsh and restrictive demands that so often accompany self-blame. Carried to the extreme, this tendency becomes the classic defining feature of obsessive-compulsive disorders, but most of us don’t usually take things that far.
When out fishing, I take pains to avoid doing things that might rub King Neptune the wrong way. Particularly when fishing from a boat, I am out of my natural element (land) and a guest on a foreign element (water). As any good guest would, I am inclined to make some token gesture of gratitude and appreciation to my host. When liquid refreshment is part of the equation, I will pop the top of a beer and pour the first mouthful over the side, as a token of respect. While I maintain a positive state of mind as to the outcome of my fishing activity, I avoid thinking about and certainly discussing the types and numbers of fish I may catch. So doing may appear indecorous, a form of hubris best not displayed in the realm of a god, who, like so many gods, seems capable of being quite touchy at times.
The odd thing is that, as with most beliefs, superstitions tend to become self-fulfilling prophesies. Wade Boggs, who played seventeen years in the major leagues, collected over three thousand hits, and had a career batting average of .328, ate a meal of fried chicken before every game. (I wonder what his cholesterol numbers were.) It helped him to feel ready and prepared to focus and do his best on the baseball field, and if eating fried chicken affects him in that way, so much the better. Anything that helps you to focus, concentrate or feel confident in performing a given task is a boon, whether it is eating fried chicken or standing on your head.
The power of our beliefs requires no logical or rational explanations. When we believe sufficiently in the power of a thought or action, it probably will have an impact on how things turn out. Without meaning to offend anyone’s religious or theological beliefs, all prayer (and all religious beliefs for that matter) must fall technically under the heading of superstition. That this truth makes them no less powerful or important is compelling testimony to the role personal and cultural belief systems play in our lives.
The old joke goes You shouldn’t be superstitious. It’s bad luck. As with most things, carrying superstition to an extreme is not usually a good thing: walking down the street avoiding cracks can seriously prolong your commute time. But taken in small doses, it can be both interesting and rewarding to peer into your belief system and observe what is being mirrored back to you. It can be fun to discuss as a couple or with your children, serving as a way to foster empathetic bonds and deepen the level compassion, intimacy and understanding of the relationships. Perhaps you can even concoct some useful personal superstitions of your own.