Why Do People Believe In Superstitions?

A superstition is defined as a belief in some supernatural process, that is not based on facts or proven events. Thus, why do people believe in superstitions?

Some of the common superstitions that you may have heard are bad lucks caused by a black cat crossing your path, or breaking mirrors unintentionally, walking under a ladder, stepping over someone who’s older than you, or even spilling salt! Moreover, it is believed that throwing salt over your shoulder after spilling it will negate its negative effect. When you think of it, there really is no basis for such superstitions and the negative effects that might come to you.

If superstitions do not have valid explanations, then why do people believe in superstitions? While some people believe that some of the superstitions are real, almost everyone recognizes the fact that much of the time, these supernatural phenomena are not really valid, and that the bad circumstances that happen are just mere coincidences. The reason why it is called a superstition is because no one could really prove the any “bad luck” comes out of these situations.

The inability to explain the cause and effect of events or situations through science is one of the answers to the question “Why do people believe in superstitions? For a long time, people couldn’t explain unlucky events scientifically, thus superstitions arose. Certain unexplained illnesses or weather occurrences were often linked with other things that happened, like a black cat crossing your path, which actually did not have any relation as to why someone got sick.

So, why do people believe in superstitions if it brings bad luck? Are superstitions associated with bad luck only? Fortunately, the answer is no. Although most of the time, superstitions are linked with bad luck, many superstitions also talk about good luck. Take for instance, finding a four-leaf clover. You are considered lucky if you come across a four-leaf clover, which is believed to be a symbol of good luck. Wishbones are also said to be bringers of good luck. They are v-shaped and each person pulls one side of it. The one who ends up pulling the larger half will have his wish come true.

Numerous superstitions have been around for ages. It is usually hard to determine whether some of these superstitions are true. In spite of now having a better knowledge on how or why so many things happen, many still believe in superstitions. The question is, are you still one of them.

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