Superstition -- Writer's Poke #93

For Writers:

Elevators don't have a floor thirteen; opening an umbrella inside brings bad luck, as does walking under a ladder and breaking a mirror. In some Asian cultures, the number four is equated with death. Where exactly do superstitions come from, and why do we still acknowledge them?

Take Friday the 13th as an example. Apparently the U.S. Navy will not even launch a ship on Friday the 13th, and the Stress Management and Phobia Institute report that fear of this date affects as many as 20 million people in the United States alone. Has anything bad ever happened to you on Friday the 13th? To me, the power of Friday trumps 13 anyway.

Some superstitions are more cute than sinister. A lot of sports superstars have superstitions, such as Michael Jordan wearing his University of North Carolina shorts under his Chicago Bulls game shorts. Such a superstition is nostalgic, but by no means harmful, whereas some superstitions can be down right debilitating.

Today, create a new superstition. First describe what it is, and explain what might happen to a person that ignores it. How can you release this new supersition to the world?

Or

Are you superstitious? What superstitions do you believe in and why?

"We are all tattooed in our cradles with the beliefs of our tribe." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Comments

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