Are Superstitions Harmful?

Witten by Riki

It is hard to define whether one superstition can harm people or not. If we search for stories about the incidents related to the superstitions, we can find a lot. For example, suppose we had a bad luck you on Friday thirteenth. If we are superstitious, we would think that was because it was the day. However, the bad luck maybe just a coincidence. No one can scientifically prove that bad things definitely will occur on that day. On the other hand, obsession with superstitions may affect our lives and could harm our health. According to Sarah Albert, the author of “The Psychology of Superstition” on Medicinenet.com, obsession toward unreasonable thoughts such as superstition may give us great anxiety and distress as the example of the character that Jack Nicholson’s acted in the film As Good as it Gets, who “skips cracks in the sidewalk” or always sits “at the same table in the same restaurant everyday.” Even a research by David Phillips, a sociologist at the University of California, showed that being superstitious can make people more anxious and stressed. Therefore, it is better not to believe superstitions too much.

Are superstitions helpful?
As I mentioned above, this is the matter of the degree we believe. Although there is no specific line that defines the level we believe superstitions and hard to say how deep we can believe superstitious, being superstitious may also have a function to ease our anxiety. There are so many things in life that we are not able to predict and some people have a great fear or worry toward those things: Am I going to pass an entrance exam for the school I really wish to go? What will happen if I tell him that I like him? Can I find my dream career? We have those small anxieties in our lives, and many of us try to calm the thoughts in superstitious manner. In Japanese culture, for instance, many people carry amulet as a charm, and in American culture, carrying a rabbit food is a lucky charm. Many sports players have some superstitious habits to let their anxiety go off. The well-known basketball player Michel Jordan would do up his shoelace in a certain manner before the game. Even the historical baseball player Babe Ruth would hit butterflies with the diamond because he believed they were bad luck. Even though being too superstitious can harm our health, being moderately superstitious may help us act more confidently rather than being nervous in big occasions.

References:

Albert, Sarah. “Is 'magical' thinking hurting or helping you?” MedicineNet.com. 4 Oct. 2004. 27 May. 2010. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46749

“Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).”MayoClinic.com. 19 Dec. 2008. 27 May. 2010. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/ds00189

“As Good as It Gets.”The Internet Movie Database. 1997. 27 May. 2010. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119822/

Somerville, Carole.“Belief in superstitions and its effect on our lives.” Helium. 27 May. 2010.
http://www.helium.com/items/1610568-how-does-superstition-affect-our-liveswhy-are-people-superstitiousaffects-of-superstious-behaviour

“Are you superstitious?”BeingGirl. 26Feb.2009. 27 May. 2010.
http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/articledetail.jsp?ContentId=ART300

Yronwode, Catherine.“THE RABBIT FOOT.”Lucky Mojo. 27 May. 2010.
http://www.luckymojo.com/rabbitfoot.html