Theme 1 - Superstitions and Beliefs - Impact and Elimination
Impact of Superstition
on Society
There
are tonnes of examples that exist in the modern world indicating the obeisance
of illogical superstitions such as wearing charms for good luck, avoiding a
black cat, or not walking under a ladder. If statistics are to be believed,
“80% of high-rise buildings all over the world lack a 13th floor… some hotels
and hospitals often choose not to have a room with the number 13 … (and) 70% of
U.S. students rely on good luck charms for better academic performance” (Sandoui,
2013). It has also been observed that airlines such as Air France and
Lufthansa, do not have a 13th row. Lufthansa also has no 17th row – because in
some countries – such as Italy and Brazil – the typical unlucky number is 17
(Dagnall and Drinkwater, 2018). Some traditions
may be as crazy as a study that observed a practice in Taiwan where
shoppers buy more items, just to ensure that the number of items is a lucky
number for them (Block and Kramer, 2009). The widespread incorporation of
superstitions in almost all aspects of the global economy, makes it an even
bigger issue than just some silly tradition followed by a particular household
in some corner of the world.
Many
people also have the tendency to allow superstitions to impact important life
decisions such as not allowing a delivery because the date is the 13th or
allowing horoscopes and astrology to determine a perfect match for an
individual regardless of the personality of the match, etc. Letting
superstitions impair decision making is not a healthy practice and can affect
an individual’s life patterns. Many people believe in the power of
superstitions to enable their life to be driven in the right direction but in
the process end up making decisions that any normal person would regret.
Therefore, it is of grave significance that superstitions not be allowed to
interfere with resolutions essentially requiring logical thought processes.
A
large number of superstitions following is observed in sports players and
athletes. From wearing certain clothes or amulets before a big game to
performing a ritualistic set of activities, this field is also not dry of
superstitions. Research suggests that “four out of five professional athletes
report (engage in) at least one superstitious behaviour prior to performance”
(Dagnall and Drinkwater, 2018). Even popular sportsmen like Michael Jordan and
Rafael Nadal have practiced certain superstitious behavior as a means to ensure
good luck and success. Superstitions in sports are normally associated with
better performance and higher chances of victory, simply because of the
psychological relief that they receive through these practices. Despite this
benefit, superstitious practices are also leading these sports players astray
from scientific and rational thought.
Further research has observed that his
influence is not limited to the players alone but also extends to fans. A 2013
study published in Athletic Insight: The Online Journal of Sport Psychology,
discovered that “higher levels of sport fandom and greater identification with
a team was linked with harboring more superstitions” (Colino, 2016). Thus the
spread of superstitions in the sports arena is not only interfering with but
also with their youth following and influencing the future generations.
At some points, belief in superstitions may
become so embedded in a person or certain society’s mental being that they
cease to accept evidence against their notions of reality. This is when the
problem worsens since such conviction in these irrational thoughts impacts the
rationality of an entire society or culture. A more extreme condition is the
link between excessive superstitious and ritualistic behavior and the
possibility of OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder. Past research has elicited
“superstitions as an example of “compulsions performed in response to
obsessions,” along with “excessive hand washing, ritualized bathing or
grooming, checking behaviors, mental rituals, need to repeat activities,
re-reading text, [and] hoarding behaviors” (Sandoui, 2013). Superstition can
also be related with extreme tendencies of any kind such as excessive gambling
as described by research from Australia (Colino, 2016). In such situations, it
becomes excessively important to dial down superstitions with instances of
rational thought.
As the spread of superstitions increase, it
only becomes more important to eradicate them. Today, these superstitions have
made their mark on every part of the world and every aspect of global living.
Superstitions are impacting logical thinking abilities and are not a mark of
good inheritance to pass on to future generations.
One method to eradicate superstitions is
promoting positive thinking and scientific logic. Illiteracy and ignorance
promotes superstitions in economically backward backgrounds and efforts should
be taken to inspire greater awareness and pragmatic abilities. Dealing with
people’s fears and apprehensions is also of foremost importance. Using the
media to spread this message is also a useful strategy. Advertisements
discouraging superstitious behaviors and movies incorporating this mindset will
have a good impact on people of all ages. There is also a need to encourage
celebrities, sports players, national organisations or and other such popular
personnel that are regularly observed by the normal man, to restrain their
superstitious actions to prevent the usual public from initiating them.
Associate Professor of Psychology at the
Kansas State University (2013), suggested that “if a person's superstitious
behavior and the events it's linked to are shown repeatedly to be unassociated,
then the superstition could go away.” This ideology is based on the
psychological theory of extinction of knowledge.
Youth are most involved with peers, teachers,
parents and social media. Spreading messages of wisdom through these sources
can be increasingly effective in garnering positive results. Guidance by
parents in respective families, teachers conducting workshops in schools or
spreading messages encouraging rational thinking on social media platforms, as
well as peers motivating each other to initiate non-superstitious behavior are
all ways to escape this trap of illogical belief systems. Governments can also
initiate campaigns and awareness regimens to reach out to the public and put
forth the message.
Conclusion
Inheritance of superstitions has been
described as a major cause for the existence of superstitions. Adults who were
taught certain traditions as a child, by their parents, who were taught by
their own parents, and so on, tend to follow these traditions even in
adulthood. These traditions, some of which are superstitions are passed on
across generations and form the legacy of these individual families,
neighborhoods and even larger cultures. They become newfound expressions of
truth and essentially are ingrained into the minds of the people following
these traditions as alternative versions of reality.
This article attempts to focus on how
superstitions have a massive impact on society and are essentially a form of
reality passed on to subsequent generations that eventually gets established as
a general truth, without being backed by scientific thought and pragmatic
thinking, thus building a legacy based on irrational perspectives. Therefore,
in order to prevent the existence of a
future generation that is constructed on pillars of misinterpreted truth,
elimination or at least factual handling and investigation of superstitions is
very necessary. Thus, replacing superstitions through the introduction of
pragmatic thinking processes is a method of establishing an expression of truth
not far from scientific reality, that not only contributes to a legacy of our
past generations but creates a future generation focusing on rational thought
and action.
References
Block, L., Kramer, T (June 2009). The effect of superstitious beliefs
on performance expectations. Journal of the Academy of Marking Science, 37,
161–169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-008-0116-y
Colino, Stacey (Oct 26, 2016). How Superstitions Are Affecting Your
Behavior. US News and World Report. Retrieved from: https://health.usnews.com/wellness/mind/articles/2016-10-26/how-superstitions-are-affecting-your-behavior
Dagnall, Neil., Drinkwater, Ken (July 2, 2018). The science of
superstition – and why people believe in the unbelievable. The Conversation.
Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-superstition-and-why-people-believe-in-the-unbelievable-97043
Kansas State University (Oct 25, 2013) Psychology Professor Says
Superstitions All About Trying to Control Fate. Retrieved from: https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/oct13/superstition102513.html
Sandoiu, Ana (Sept 13, 2019). How do superstitions affect our
psychology and well-being? Medical News Today. Retrieved from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326330
Do you have any more suggestions to help eliminate this global issue? Let me know in the comments below!
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