Do you have any superstitions?

cavedave

Touch wood, not stepping in fairy rings, scared of Friday the 13th, checking doors are locked more then once?

Do you follow any superstitions that you have no rational explanation for?

The American said with a nervous laugh, "Surely you don't believe that horseshoe will bring you good luck, do you, Professor Bohr?"

Bohr chuckled. "I believe no such thing, my good friend. Not at all. I am scarcely likely to believe in such foolish nonsense. However, I am told that a horseshoe will bring you good luck whether you believe in it or not!

stereoroid

Nah, I'm kinda boring that way. I stayed on the 13th floor of a hotel in London a few years ago, and only noticed on the way to check out. It was a French chain (Ibis), I guess they don't have that superstition in France. :rolleyes:

adamd164

None; people actually think it's a bit strange that I don't. I'm studying Biology in UCC. They have all sorts of stupid old supersititions such as not walking across the main lawn in the quadrangle and not walking over the UCC crest before you've graduated. I've done both with glee.

cavedave

cavedave wrote: »

checking doors are locked more then once?

I do that but I put it down to being a bit obsessive compulsive, not superstitious.

Checking the fridge is fully closed is probably my worst bit of :pac:.

Tim_Murphy

I do that but I put it down to being a bit obsessive compulsive, not superstitious

Agreed. I do things like that all the fecking time (it annoys me :rolleyes: ) but I don't think it has anything to do with superstition.

Beruthiel

cavedave wrote: »

Touch wood, not stepping in fairy rings, scared of Friday the 13th, checking doors are locked more then once

How is checking your door is locked a superstition?

Friday the 13th:

the arrest of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and 60 of his senior knights on Friday, October 13, 1307 by King Philip IV of France is the origin of this superstition. That day thousands of Templars were arrested and subsequently tortured. They then 'confessed' and were executed. From that day on, Friday the 13th was considered by followers of the Templars as an evil and unlucky day.

Not being a knight Templar and having no great fear of the pope wanting me dead, I'm seeing no particular problem with that date.

cavedave

Beruthiel

How is checking your door is locked a superstition?

I have to do it a prime number of times. Usually 3 but sometimes 17 if its a bad day... I wonder how common this sort of checking is? This board does seem to have a few people who do it.

It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do

Beruthiel

cavedave wrote: »

I have to do it a prime number of times. Usually 3 but sometimes 17 if its a bad day....

But that's OCD, nothing to do with supersititions.

Tigger

i have no superstitions

i don't beliueve in luck or coincidences

this is because i am an aqaurious apperantly

cavedave

Beruthiel

But that's OCD, nothing to do with supersititions.

Well i do not think I have a medical condition and certainly nota non falsifiable one that can be diagnosed on a forum.

A superstition is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge. After one check you know the door is closed so surely rechecking is superstition? Now if you check it for 10 minutes you are probably entering into problems with living territory alright. Where is the dividing line?

Galvasean

Tigger wrote: »

i don't beliueve in luck or coincidences

Isn't coincidence the anti-superstition?


I have a small Buddha. I rub his belly for good luck. More of a habit than an actual superstition.

Also, I always wear an Arsenal jersey when they're playing. I feel bad if they lose and I wasn't wearing one.

monkeyfudge

Can't say I like walking under ladders....

But there is the fear that someone will drop something on me... lots of clumsy people up ladders these days.

Tigger

cavedave wrote: »

Well i do not think I have a medical condition and certainly nota non falsifiable one that can be diagnosed on a forum.

A superstition is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge. After one check you know the door is closed so surely rechecking is superstition? Now if you check it for 10 minutes you are probably entering into problems with living territory alright. Where is the dividing line?

i have to check doors
this is not a superstition i'l just a worrier about doors
we used to go into town in my college days and the lads yould go "did you lock the front door"
oh how they laughed

Tigger

Galvasean wrote: »

Isn't coincidence the anti-superstition?


I have a small Buddha. I rub his belly for good luck. More of a habit than an actual superstition.

Also, I always wear an Arsenal jersey when they're playing. I feel bad if they lose and I wasn't wearing one.

coincidences are not the anti superstition they are when we are shown how small and interconnected the world is
shows how superstitions come about

Beruthiel

cavedave wrote: »

A superstition is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge.

Correct

After one check you know the door is closed so surely rechecking is superstition?

Not at all the same thing.
If you have to check a door more than once or twice then you've got problems.
One sign of OCD is: A person may be filled with doubt and feel the need to check things repeatedly.

Feelgood

Just posted thread # 666 there a few hours ago....freaking out I was....

stereoroid

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Can't say I like walking under ladders....

But there is the fear that someone will drop something on me... lots of clumsy people up ladders these days.

Yep - in other words, common sense "health and safety" masquerading as superstition. I don't open umbrellas indoors, either, because a) you often can't get it through the door if it's open, and b) I could put someone's eye out with that thing. :cool:

robindch

As a paddy with russians in the family, it's never dull -- don't shake hands over a door sill, don't give even number of flowers, don't travel without sitting for a minute in silence in the suitcase, don't give yellow flowers, don't sit at the corner of the table, don't accept an alcoholic drink without finishing it, don't go out with a hole in your pocket, don't look into a broken mirror, don't return home if you've forgotten something. And so on and so on.

Skepticism is rare in Russia.

monkeyfudge

robindch wrote: »

don't travel without sitting for a minute in silence in the suitcase,

Okay... that one is particularly strange.

Dave!

Nope, none I can think of. Except I don't like walking under ladders. That's mainly because I'm afraid I'll hit off it and it will land on my head/kill the person on it.

Tigger

edited due to finding the level

Dades

Tigger, grow up if you want to play with the adults.

robindch

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Okay... that one is particularly strange.

They use big suitcases in the FSU. Or if it's a small case, you can get by fine just sitting on it.

stevejazzx

robindch wrote: »

They use big suitcases in the FSU. Or if it's a small case, you can get by fine just sitting on it.

I once pointed out, while in a taxi to Sheremetyevo airport that we had forgotten to do it....geesh was I in the doghouse for weeks~!

estebancambias

robindch wrote: »

As a paddy with russians in the family, it's never dull -- don't shake hands over a door sill, don't give even number of flowers, don't travel without sitting for a minute in silence in the suitcase, don't give yellow flowers, don't sit at the corner of the table, don't accept an alcoholic drink without finishing it, don't go out with a hole in your pocket, don't look into a broken mirror, don't return home if you've forgotten something. And so on and so on.

Skepticism is rare in Russia.

Wait, your russian?

robindch

estebancambias wrote: »

Wait, your russian?

Nope, I'm Irish, though with strong links to Russia.

понимаете?

Zillah

robindch wrote: »

don't shake hands over a door sill

Door could close on your hands.

don't sit at the corner of the table

If someone falls against you could get a very sharp table corner shoved into your abdomen, ow.

don't accept an alcoholic drink without finishing it

Just good manners.

don't go out with a hole in your pocket

You'll drop things.

don't return home if you've forgotten something.

Uhm...you'll be late?

I like that many superstitions often have a very reasonable purpose, even if that purpose has been forgotten. As for myself, no, I have nothing approaching superstitious beliefs. I very literally grew out of that sort of thinking as I realised it was inneffective. I was quite disappointed and suprised to discover there was no room 13 in the hospital that I worked in. Bloody ridiculous in this day and age, grow up.

Hivemind187

Superstitions do make for interesting meme's though. Behavior's associated with an irrational belief in a reward or penalty if they are are/are not done.

I also think most people are slightly obsessive compulsive, it just seems to be a part of the human condition - though perhaps not to "Monk" levels.

I'll admit I still feel weird stepping on cracks and lines from when I was a kid and when I was a smoker I was convinced that every time I tried to give up something terrible happened. This was probably more to do with a heightened sensitivity to things due to withdrawal symptoms.

Doctor DooM

Beruthiel wrote: »

Not being a knight Templar and having no great fear of the pope wanting me dead, I'm seeing no particular problem with that date.

I have it on good authority Pope Ratty has his eye on you!

I use to get a little weirded out by the amount of 666's I saw popping up. Then I realised that it was just synergy- Numbers reoccur in nature, you just focus on them when you have a reason (it's the same effect as noticing loads of people have the same car as you, even though you saw none of them before.)

twinytwo

adamd164 wrote: »

None; people actually think it's a bit strange that I don't. I'm studying Biology in UCC. They have all sorts of stupid old supersititions such as not walking across the main lawn in the quadrangle and not walking over the UCC crest before you've graduated. I've done both with glee.

there are also real reasons for that also... ever notice why they have a special mower for that grass??..As for walking over the crest thats to stop it being worn down.

Zamboni

Superstitions are loike soooo last century.:)

No way. I used to but I have gradually cut them out one by one over the years.
I still see people nearly crashing cars trying to bless themsleves when they see a church or solitary magpie. If you cannot use a mobile in a car you sure as hell shouldn't be allowed to take your right hand off the wheel and bless yourself.;)