SURVEY: Are you superstitious?

[Scott]

Thailand seems to have an abundance of superstitions as do many countries.   How superstitious are you?  For example, do you walk under a ladder, or go around it?   If a black cat crosses your path, do you go a different direction?  Do you avoid going places or buying things on Friday the 13th? Do you believe in lucky/unlucky numbers?  A lot of countries, cultures and groups have their own superstitions.

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.  

[SWW]

It’s bad luck to be superstitious 

[MyFriend You]

4 hours ago, SWW said:

It’s bad luck to be superstitious 

Its extremely bad luck for not being superstitious.............ya never know - why take a chance.

[1FinickyOne]

On December 31, 2560 BE at 12:17 AM, Scott said:

do you walk under a ladder, or go around it?   If a black cat crosses your path, do you go a different direction?  Do you avoid going places or buying things on Friday the 13th? Do you believe in lucky/unlucky numbers? 

1. some body could be up there w/a bucket of paint...

2. going a different direction does not change the luck.. you are already doomed.

3. No. It is better to go out and have the bad luck somewhere else. You definitely do not want bad luck at home.

4. Yes. My lucky numbers never come in for the lottery - they must be avoided...

 

other than that - my superstitions are not the same as others... you must adjust them personally... 

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Its extremely bad luck for not being superstitious.............ya never know - why take a chance.

555...the "Pascal's Wager" line of reasoning. 

[MyFriend You]

31 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

555...the "Pascal's Wager" line of reasoning. 

I am not a practicing religious man, not praying to a 'God' but I believe they all exist in peoples minds.........There is a religious sect in Vietnam - The Cao Dai - they believe in every thing with the reasoning of "What if one of them is right??"  Taoism, Buddism, Islam, (Cham) Hinduism, Catholicism and even a little Animism - Can't say that I blame them    like a good gambler hedging his bets.

[Skeptic7]

6 minutes ago, TunnelRat69 said:

I am not a practicing religious man, not praying to a 'God' but I believe they all exist in peoples minds.........There is a religious sect in Vietnam - The Cao Dai - they believe in every thing with the reasoning of "What if one of them is right??"  Taoism, Buddism, Islam, (Cham) Hinduism, Catholicism and even a little Animism - Can't say that I blame them    like a good gambler hedging his bets.

Wow...they are Pascal's Wager on steroids! They have been indoctrinated this way...same as any who sincerely believe in any one of the absurd superstitious god-beliefs. Seems ridiculous wasting one's time (or life) believing in ANYTHING without evidence...so much as believing in EVERYTHING without evidence. The time to believe something is when there is/are good reasons. A good gambler...or good investor...doesn't cover all bases. They would just tend to break even most of the time, or lose. Of course your point is valid...they hedge occasionally to minimize losses when necessary, but to maximize gains...they study realities such as probabilities, annual reports, profits margins, body language, charts, history, percentages and numbers. They study the "game"...it's facts, faults and how it works. They look for an edge...not a hedge. 

[Crossy]

If we take into account all religions and beliefs we are all going to Hell.

 

Just remember, The Devil's name is Toby.

 

 

 

[i claudius]

Very.i never leave my wallet on the bedside table when i am with a hooker

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[digger70]

3 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Its extremely bad luck for not being superstitious.............ya never know - why take a chance.

I take the chance ,,,,Only believe in what one can see, No Crap,,,,  (:

[csabo]

Surprised by the results.  Intelligence is finally gaining ground.  Now how many of the non-superstitious still believe in god and don't realize that is a superstition also?  Lemme guess, intelligence loses ground.

[KhunMhee]

Not in the slightest. People who believe they see ghosts are off their rocker. Some people need to believe in things that's fine with me just go around telling everyone that's its the truth because its not.......

[tso310]

I would never walk under a ladder in this cuntry and that has nothing to do with superstition.

[attrayant]

2 minutes ago, tso310 said:

I would never walk under a ladder in this cuntry and that has nothing to do with superstition.

 

There is a difference between mitigating risk and being superstitious.  If you see a guy working overhead with bricks or hand tools, it's just good sense not to walk under him whether he's on a ladder, scaffold or hanging from a rope.  But if you don't want to walk under a ladder just because it's a ladder and there's a myth about that, and one time your friend's uncle walked under a ladder and then two years later he died from bladder cancer, that's being superstitious.

[impulse]

17 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Wow...they are Pascal's Wager on steroids! They have been indoctrinated this way...same as any who sincerely believe in any one of the absurd superstitious god-beliefs. Seems ridiculous wasting one's time (or life) believing in ANYTHING without evidence...so much as believing in EVERYTHING without evidence. The time to believe something is when there is/are good reasons. A good gambler...or good investor...doesn't cover all bases. They would just tend to break even most of the time, or lose. Of course your point is valid...they hedge occasionally to minimize losses when necessary, but to maximize gains...they study realities such as probabilities, annual reports, profits margins, body language, charts, history, percentages and numbers. They study the "game"...it's facts, faults and how it works. They look for an edge...not a hedge. 

 

And if you're wrong?

 

[attrayant]

17 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

And if you're wrong?

 

 

Then we lose the bet.  The point is we're betting against something that is so patently ludicrous because we don't think we'll lose.  I'd bet my life that a coin, when flipped, won't land on its edge even though there is about a 1-in-6000 (depending on the coin) chance of that happening.  Of course there needs to be something equally enticing waiting for me when I win the bet, otherwise why bother?

 

 

 

[impulse]

11 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

Then we lose the bet.  The point is we're betting against something that is so patently ludicrous because we don't think we'll lose.  I'd bet my life that a coin, when flipped, won't land on its edge even though there is about a 1-in-6000 (depending on the coin) chance of that happening.  Of course there needs to be something equally enticing waiting for me when I win the bet, otherwise why bother?

 

The premise there is that believing is a bet on the quality of your existence after your demise. 

 

Perhaps some folks find that believing improves the quality of their current lives.  In which case, it doesn't matter whether it's true or not.

 

Not specifically aimed at you, but I get the sense that a lot of the guys here on TVF could really benefit from something to believe in.  Maybe they wouldn't be so bitter.  Unless, of course, bitterness is their goal in life.

 

[attrayant]

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

I get the sense that a lot of the guys here on TVF could really benefit from something to believe in.

 

That sounds like another way of saying 'ignorance is bliss'.  I'd rather be told an uncomfortable truth than a comforting lie.  If the truth is uncomfortable, then I need to change my thinking and deal with that.  Don't just put sugar on the bitterness, find out what's causing the bitterness.

 

There's more to be amazed at in the real universe than in any concocted fairy story.

[impulse]

1 minute ago, attrayant said:

 

That sounds like another way of saying 'ignorance is bliss'.  I'd rather be told an uncomfortable truth than a comforting lie.  If the truth is uncomfortable, then I need to change my thinking and deal with that.  Don't just put sugar on the bitterness, find out what's causing the bitterness.

 

There's more to be amazed at in the real universe than in any concocted fairy story.

 

I'd rather be happy than be right.

 

[KhunMhee]

Way too many wars have happened because people disagree on who's imaginary friend is better. But I do get the concept of some people need something to believe in. I'm all for that. It's once they start thinking it's their right to push their beliefs to others (namely me) that I don't appreciate. As for ghosts I don't know what to say some people need to believe their belief is the strongest so they see made up crap I suppose

[FritsSikkink]

23 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

The premise there is that believing is a bet on the quality of your existence after your demise. 

 

Perhaps some folks find that believing improves the quality of their current lives.  In which case, it doesn't matter whether it's true or not.

 

Not specifically aimed at you, but I get the sense that a lot of the guys here on TVF could really benefit from something to believe in.  Maybe they wouldn't be so bitter.  Unless, of course, bitterness is their goal in life.

 

Believe in a book which has fundamental flaws and is rewritten hundreds of times to suit certain people better?

http://godisimaginary.com/

 

[impulse]

22 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Believe in a book which has fundamental flaws and is rewritten hundreds of times to suit certain people better?

http://godisimaginary.com/

 

Not at all.  But not believing the Bible isn't the same as not believing in a power greater than myself. 

 

You're confusing organized religion with spirituality.

 

[attrayant]

Spiritual but not religious?

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, attrayant said:

Spiritual but not religious?

 

Sure.  For a simple and very well known example, consider "The Force" in Star Wars.

 

[attrayant]

At least you're staying squarely within the realm of science fiction, so I really can't argue with that.

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, attrayant said:

At least you're staying squarely within the realm of science fiction, so I really can't argue with that.

 

You may want to consider the possibility that you're missing out on some great things when you reject the idea that you're connected to others, and you're not acknowledging and developing that connection. 

 

Lots of expats here in Thailand live and die alone and miserable.  I don't intend to be one of them.

 

[attrayant]

31 minutes ago, impulse said:

You may want to consider the possibility that you're missing out on some great things when you reject the idea that you're connected to others, and you're not acknowledging and developing that connection.

 

Now you're venturing out of the realm of science fiction by making a testable claim ("you're connected to others") that can be validated or falsified.  Continue in that direction only at your own peril.  If you continue, and if you are courageous enough to be willing to reject deeply held beliefs that you had assumed to be true, there exists the possibility that you will acquire an understanding of the real word that does not require magical thinking.  That will be a wonderful transition.

 

Don't think I haven't considered the possibility of some kind of mystical connection.  I have considered it.  But the next thing I did right after considering it, was to look for evidence to support it.  Otherwise how would I know if it's real or not?  Finding no evidence, I have since rejected such a possibility.  If, in the future, some strong convincing evidence turns up then I may once again reconsider the idea and attempt to validate it.  That's what being skeptical is all about - a willingness to consider new, compelling evidence even if that evidence conflicts with existing beliefs.

 

I don't reject the statement "you're connected to others" as an idea, I reject it as a hypothesis because there's no evidence to support it*.  I do this in the same way I rejected the "ideas" of Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.  If you're going to believe in some magical things, why not believe in all of them?

 

As for the perceived comfort in the feeling of being connected, I'm connected to the universe in much bigger and more important ways than mysticism can promise.  I know that the iron in my blood and the calcium in my bones were synthesized in stellar reactors and blasted out into space in supernovas.  That's a much more amazing and beautiful connection, and it has the added benefit of being true.

 

Symphony of Science - 'We Are All Connected' (feat. Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye)

  

 

*Unless you're talking about being connected genetically, in which case I agree.  But there's nothing mystical about that.

[Skeptic7]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I'd rather be happy than be right.

 

I'd rather be happy and right! But would rather have the truth over all! I (and everyone who knows me), knows I am happy. And all indications are that I/we (atheists) are also right. You (incorrectly) assume that we are not happy. That is not a valid argument, but rather a broad stroke, cop out assumption. If at all interested in truth and evidence, then the articles below should be of interest. If you choose not to read them, then the last paragraph of the Psychology Today article sums all up nicely...

 

"In the grand scheme of global differences, religious people are actually quite miserable. Yet, thanks to religious beliefs and practices they are less miserable than they would otherwise be. If you want to be happier, the last thing you should do would be to move to a religious country. You might consider living in a country like Sweden instead where most people are happy atheists."

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201211/are-religious-people-happier

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2016/03/report-worlds-happiest-countries-are-also-least-religious/

[impulse]

36 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

I'd rather be happy and right! But would rather have the truth over all! I (and everyone who knows me), knows I am happy. And all indications are that I/we (atheists) are also right. You (incorrectly) assume that we are not happy. That is not a valid argument, but rather a broad stroke, cop out assumption. If at all interested in truth and evidence, then the articles below should be of interest. If you choose not to read them, then the last paragraph of the Psychology Today article sums all up nicely...

 

"In the grand scheme of global differences, religious people are actually quite miserable. Yet, thanks to religious beliefs and practices they are less miserable than they would otherwise be. If you want to be happier, the last thing you should do would be to move to a religious country. You might consider living in a country like Sweden instead where most people are happy atheists."

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201211/are-religious-people-happier

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2016/03/report-worlds-happiest-countries-are-also-least-religious/

 

Once again, you're equating religion with spirituality.  I'm not trying to recruit anyone, or convince anyone their views are wrong.  My intent in posting here is to point out that organized religions and spirituality are not the same thing(s).  

 

But I do find one of your sentences interesting and I'm going to violate forum rules and underline that sentence:

 

"In the grand scheme of global differences, religious people are actually quite miserable. Yet, thanks to religious beliefs and practices they are less miserable than they would otherwise be."

 

I suspect the happiness in Sweden has more to do with their high standard of living than it does with them being atheists.  And the general happiness in Thailand has more to do with their spirituality than it does with the standard of living.  I can't imagine the people of Sweden being as happy as the Thais if they lived under the same economic conditions.

 

That's what I meant with my "I'd rather be happy than right" comment.  If people derive comfort from their beliefs that they can't afford to buy with their salaries, I'm certainly not going to convince them they're wrong.  Nor if they take comfort in a higher power when faced with tragedy.  That's just cruel. 

 

I'd like to see organized religions quit sapping money from those who can least afford it in the name of God, or Buddha, or whoever.  But that's one of the things that differentiates spirituality from religion.  The mortgage.

 

Edit:  And I'd also add that, in spite of all the horrible things done in the name of religion, if a despotic dictator or drug baron or crooked politician with no earthly limits on their power tempers his behavior out of fear of the  consequences in the afterlife, that's a good thing.  And I suspect that happens more than the bad things that come out of religion.  

[amvet]

 A day after five women were lynched on the allegation of practising witchcraft, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Sunday said lack of education leads to the delusion of superstition.

 

http://www.firstpost.com/india/lack-of-education-leads-to-belief-in-witchcraft-delusion-of-superstition-says-cm-after-5-women-lynched-by-mob-2385182.html