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nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,987 posts
Grand Duke

"The root of all superstition is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses."
~Francis Bacon

Say what you may Mr Bacon, but it's an irrational habit of mine to indulge in a superstition or two, out of habit perhaps. :P I avoid ''jinxing'' things by never predicting the best results, I'd never say that my football team is going to win easily for one. I know it's stupid, and even harmful, but oh well.

And I've always avoided stuff that excessively revolve around the number 4, it sounds like the Chinese word for death.

Do you guys follow any superstitions, no matter how wild they are? Thoughts on them?

  • 19 Replies
daleks
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daleks
3,770 posts
Chamberlain

Man o man. Man U has such an easy schedule. They will sweep the floor with all the teams.
O hey nicho, I gave you a gift. 4 white clocks.

Only thing I hate is when they say the stats of someone before a kick or something. He hasn't missed all season. Just seems like bad luck.

FishPreferred
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FishPreferred
3,171 posts
Duke

I avoid ''jinxing'' things by never predicting the best results, I'd never say that my football team is going to win easily for one


This is something I never understood. Doesn't every wager on the outcome rest upon a prediction? If you predict a loss instead, would it "jinx" the other team? Can you suggest any causal relationship (short of actually telling the players they're going to win/lose) that might perhaps associate your prediction to the outcome? Can you make predictions about a past game that you do not know the score of without affecting the past?

Only thing I hate is when they say the stats of someone before a kick or something. He hasn't missed all season. Just seems like bad luck.


Why? It isn't a reflection upon the outcome of the kick; it's compiled from historical data.
Salvidian
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Salvidian
4,170 posts
Farmer

Buncha ****amammie bullhonk, that's all it is. God I hate this stuff. Grumble mumble.

*Walks away*

OperationNilo
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OperationNilo
3,937 posts
Shepherd

I would like to commend the words of the wise and knowledgeable Salvidian.

nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,987 posts
Grand Duke

This is something I never understood. Doesn't every wager on the outcome rest upon a prediction? If you predict a loss instead, would it "jinx" the other team? Can you suggest any causal relationship (short of actually telling the players they're going to win/lose) that might perhaps associate your prediction to the outcome? Can you make predictions about a past game that you do not know the score of without affecting the past?


Nope, that's why it's a superstition, and a silly one at that. :3 It might be the pessimist in me, I tend to think the worse, so it would be expected if it happens, or I'd be happier if it wasn't.


O hey nicho, I gave you a gift. 4 white clocks.


I hate you. You just had to search up Chinese superstitions.
MoonFairy
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MoonFairy
3,390 posts
Shepherd

Nope, that's why it's a superstition, and a silly one at that. :3 It might be the pessimist in me, I tend to think the worse, so it would be expected if it happens, or I'd be happier if it wasn't.

I don't know if that can be counted as a superstition, really. A superstition is usually when you use some random object like a lucky hat or something luck-related. What you do is just lower your expectations to prevent being displeased with the results.

I still don't step on sidewalk cracks for literally no reason.

^
I don't know why I do it, but I usually try to measure my stride to match up with not stepping on the cracks of a sidewalk.

All of the superstitions here in America like black cats and walking under ladders and opening umbrellas in doors and stuff are just silly.
nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,987 posts
Grand Duke

I don't know if that can be counted as a superstition, really. A superstition is usually when you use some random object like a lucky hat or something luck-related. What you do is just lower your expectations to prevent being displeased with the results.


Well, I do have a set of lucky charms I used to carry with me occasionally too. ^^ As for the other thing, I think it's a bit of both, I have an irrational fear that I'm bringing bad luck upon my team, and I'm also just a pessimist like that.

And I avoid looking in the mirror after midnight. :/
FishPreferred
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FishPreferred
3,171 posts
Duke

[...] walking under ladders and opening umbrellas in doors [...]


Ironically, these are the ones that are grounded in reason; id est, the danger of falling objects during roof work and the likelihood of knocking over or breaking something when opening an umbrella in an enclosed space. They just don't make sense when attributed to future events.

Nope, that's why it's a superstition, and a silly one at that.


What about affecting the past? I'd be interested to find out if people exercise the same superstition for things that have already happened.
pangtongshu
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pangtongshu
9,808 posts
Jester

When I played baseball, I always had a habit of hoping over the foul line when going onto or off the field.
For people that don't follow baseball, some people do it because it's believed stepping on it will give you bad luck.

StormWalker
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StormWalker
8,232 posts
Jester

I don't have great amounts of superstition, but I have this thing where if I walk through a door and accidentally brush one side, I have to poke the other side too, otherwise it drives me crazy. Also, while typing, if I feel like I'm typing with one hand too much, I have to stop and clench my fists and rub my thumb along the rest of my fingernails, and then I have to touch my thumbnail with my pointer fingers, or it irritates me for the rest of the day. Last but not least, if I'm playing one of those platform games where you hit WASD repeatedly, I occasionally stop and just go aadwawawawawawaassasdawas and just pound the keypad.
I'm not sure if that's superstition or just me being weird, though.

kylefitch1
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kylefitch1
100 posts
Jester

That's not superstition, it's probably just OCD. I have it too. Little things, like always making jewelry symmetric, always saying the same thing before bed, etc. etc. It's actually kind of fun.

kylefitch1
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kylefitch1
100 posts
Jester

I KNOW I have OCD. I was diagnosed with it by THREE, count 'em, THREE different psychologists and psychiatrists.

So unless you're saying THREE different doctors who SPECIALIZE in the brain, and stuff like Tourette's, Asperger's, ADHD, ADD, OCD,(all of which I have. Psych! Hahahaha.)etc., and who have master's degrees in the brain, are wrong?

I'd withdraw that.

I'm a little touchy about my brain.

And I don't like being told I'm wrong about something I live with, and that I know BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE ON EARTH!

FishPreferred
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FishPreferred
3,171 posts
Duke

And I don't like being told I'm wrong about something I live with, and that I know BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE ON EARTH!


Are you suggesting that you are the only person who has OCD? Or a full understanding of it? What you described is not OCD or even suggestive of it. Therefore, we have every right to doubt your claim.
kylefitch1
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kylefitch1
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Jester

No, I mean my brain.

I live with my brain, and I know my brain better than anyone else on earth knows my brain.

Three psychologists and psychiatrists, I tell you. Three.

FishPreferred
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FishPreferred
3,171 posts
Duke

1 I was misdiagnosed with Tourette's syndrome by two psychiatrists. I was misdiagnosed with ADD by another. What makes you think yours are any better?

2 This was not about the condition of your brain until you made it so. The objection was to the description you gave.

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