Wacky personal superstitions -- do you have any and what are they?

[Jingthing]

OK, I'm not proud of this but throughout my life I have developed some wacky personal superstitions that have some power for me.

I think it is linked to religion as I rejected being religious when young but I still think there is a place in the human brain that we are hard wired for that needs irrational belief.

Now there are a lot of common superstitions in different cultures that aren't remarkable because they are so common.

Like the Thai cultural feeling that getting your haircut on a Wednesday will bring bad luck.

Or children walking down the sidewalk and avoiding stepping on cracks.

I seem to generally only have ONE of these wacky things going at a time, often going on for several years.

My current one is truly bizarre and my "belief" is that if I don't follow it, very bad luck will result.

I have never actually disregarded the belief and don't intend to. They sometimes change based on a major life change, like moving to a new area (or country).

But here's the kicker ... just for fun I will not reveal it until five other people reveal theirs and they have to sound both credible and unique.

In other words, no haircut avoidance days things ... too common and easy.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[pgrahmm]

None really......

Although I don't step in the foul line walking on/off the baseball field as my Dad told me it's superstitious bad luck......

Some make sense like don't walk under a ladder......

Our 7 y/o has broken 2 mirrors in 3 months - so I'm guessing she's SOL until she's 21......

I figure any black cat walking across my path better watch out for me as I'm usually driving - and fast.....

.

[magnacarta]

i never pee in a public toilet next to a farang incase they admire my shoes,or maybe a shirt lifter offering me a good time

[JLCrab]

I don't ever leave my hat on the bed only because Hitchcock used that one in Shadow of a Doubt (1943) with Joseph Cotten as the menacing 'Uncle Charlie'

[Jingthing]

So far we only have sort of one credible reply. I'll sort of buy the hat on the bed thing though there is a rationale behind it so it's really BORDERLINE.

Really authentic ones would be completely IRRATIONAL.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[magnacarta]

So far we only have sort of one credible reply. I'll sort of buy the hat on the bed thing though there is a rationale behind it so it's really BORDERLINE.

Really authentic ones would be completely IRRATIONAL.

you should know what a brown hatter is

[Bellacissa]

This one came from my great aunt and it stuck with me:

If you and the person you are walking with pass on different sides of a pole, mailbox, trashcan, whatever, you have to say "bread and butter." I have no idea where this came from or what will happen if you don't do it, but I just know that it's a bad thing and you mustn't ever forget to say it.

I don't say it out loud anymore (although I yelled it every time when I was a kid) but I still say it in my head.

[Jingthing]

We've got TWO now!

My current one is truly bizarre. But I'm not giving it up until we've got FIVE "eligible" ones posted.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[Stan42]

I've seen too much "Penn & Teller: BS" to believe in supernatural/paranormal/religious/etc. make belief.

[Jingthing]

I've seen too much "Penn & Teller: BS" to believe in supernatural/paranormal/religious/etc. make belief.

Understood.

I'm not talking about believing on a rational level.

I am fully aware of how irrational it is, but something within me is telling me ... just do this thing or don't do that thing ... OR ELSE.

As it's easy enough to follow that so I just do it.

If something within me was telling me to do something difficult/painful/tedious in the same context, I reckon I would reject it.

Of course, religious people might say the force within is :

SATAN!

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[Naam]

i don't eat halal or kosher pork on Christmas Eve.

[Jingthing]

i don't eat halal or kosher pork on Christmas Eve.

We're still stuck at two.

[Bellacissa]

I've seen too much "Penn & Teller: BS" to believe in supernatural/paranormal/religious/etc. make belief.

I don't believe in it either, but sometimes old habits die hard. I'll probably say "bread and butter" until I die just out of pure habit. I do it without thinking.

[Jingthing]

Why tempt fate?

[BuaBS]

I'm not superstitious , but number 16 , is bad luck for me. So 2016 is going to be a sh-tty year.

[Jingthing]

OK.

Still at two.

You can't do anything about 2016 happening so it doesn't rate.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[sipi]

The volume control on my tv, stereo, car stereo etc must be on an even number. I just can't do the odd number thing.

I know it sounds strange coming from a teapot.

[Jingthing]

That's 3!

[AYJAYDEE]

Why tempt fate?

because its better than giving in to nonsense. youre a nonsense enabler. why would anyone do something voluntarily that makes you not proud of yourself?

Edited July 3, 2015 by AYJAYDEE

[Jingthing]

Why tempt fate?

because its better than giving in to nonsense. youre a nonsense enabler. why would anyone do something voluntarily that makes you not proud of yourself?

There is no why. This is the world of irrationality. It's a thing.

[AYJAYDEE]

Why tempt fate?

because its better than giving in to nonsense. youre a nonsense enabler. why would anyone do something voluntarily that makes you not proud of yourself?

There is no why. This is the world of irrationality. It's a thing.

the fact that so many give in to irrationality is what causes many of the worlds problems

[Crazy chef 1]

Don't have more than 60 000 posts on Thaivisa otherwise your penis will shrink....

[NoshowJones]

None really......

Although I don't step in the foul line walking on/off the baseball field as my Dad told me it's superstitious bad luck......

Some make sense like don't walk under a ladder......

Our 7 y/o has broken 2 mirrors in 3 months - so I'm guessing she's SOL until she's 21......

I figure any black cat walking across my path better watch out for me as I'm usually driving - and fast.....

.

If a black cat, or any cat crosses my path, the first thing I want to do is pick it up and cuddle it.

I love cats. They are beautiful creatures.

[NoshowJones]

i don't eat halal or kosher pork on Christmas Eve.

We're still stuck at two.

Why? What's wrong with Naams?

[NoshowJones]

OK.

Still at two.

You can't do anything about 2016 happening so it doesn't rate.

It should be three. If I knock on someones door it has to be four times. Does that make it three?

[NoshowJones]

That's 3!

It should be four.

[pigeonjake]

i grew up in the uk and had a few gypsie friends,

i cant remember if this was from them or my grandad,

but when i used to see a magpie i would say morning your lord 3 times, it was to stop bad luck,

as in 1 for sorrow,

and ill just give you a little story that happened to me here,

and if i dont move of this chair again this is true, and you can come here and ask my wife,

we had just finnished our room, it was 8x5 mtrs a little condo we built the first part of our house,

we were in bed fast asleep,

i had what i can only say a dream about number 18,

i woke up, woke my wife up and said when is the village lottery, you can pick a number at the local corner shop, i think its the last 2 numbers of the lottery, im not quite sure, but i know some of the villagers play, 10, 20 bht

anyway i told my wife about my dream about number 18 and said when its the lottery i want number 18,

the day of the lottery came, i said put me 100bht on number 18, she said you want high or low,

i said i just want number bloody 18, ( you can say high or low, and if you say high and its 19 you still win)

any way she put number 18 on for me,

low and behold, it bloody came up and i got 7k bht,

everyone said to my wife how you pick that number, she said my husband have a dream, they all said your house and life will be very lucky,,lol

the asked her for weeks after if i had had more dreams,, i havnt, but its a good TRUE story

[sipi]

My wife and I were asleep and she woke up suddenly (without waking me), turned on the bedside lamp, grabbed a pen and paper and started writing down some numbers that she dreamed about. I let out a noisy fart and she slapped me which woke me up. She showed me the 4 numbers she had written down but by now had forgotten the others. We went back to sleep and the following day we put the 4 numbers on lottery and made up the others. The 4 she dreamed about came up but not any of the others. We won $8 instead of $2 million if 6 numbers came up.

Yep, a $2 million fart.

[Stan42]

In that case I might have OCD. I avoid stepping on pavement lines.

"Avoiding cracks in the pavement is common childhood behavior based on superstition.

A compulsive avoidance of stepping on pavement cracks is also frequently present in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Sufferers might even take detours to avoid crazy paving.

However, if you still miss the gaps between slabs it does not mean you have OCD. It is quite normal for adults to act on irrational superstitions.

Obsessive-compulsive behavior differs from the norm because sufferers perform rituals such as avoiding the gaps in paving stones in order to rid themselves of extreme and unpleasant thoughts that 'intrude' into their mind."

[Jingthing]

Religious belief ... mental illness. Same same but different?