# Word of the Day:  Superstitious



## Ruthanne

_*having or showing a belief in superstitions.*_
*"many superstitious beliefs and practices are connected with sneezing"*


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## Bretrick

Many people are Superstitious in that they believe all those irrational omens et al.

Thankfully I have never been superstitious about anything.
Not that I remember.
Black Cats, Walking under a ladder, A pinch of salt over the shoulder.
Though I did used to hope that an itchy palm would bring me fortune.
I have never found a four leafed clover, do they even exist?


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## SeaBreeze

Some people have the superstitious belief that if they dream their teeth are falling out, someone in their family is going to die soon.


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## WheatenLover

Bretrick said:


> I have never found a four leafed clover, do they even exist?


Yes. I have never found one, but my kids have when they were little.


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## Shero

I am not superstitious, but I do enjoy reading about the various folklore that exist around the world.


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## Kaila

Superstitions persist, I think, possibly because, while it's difficult or impossible to _prove_ them true, it is also very difficult to _prove them false.
_


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## Ruthanne

I have a friend who is ultra-superstitious.  She taught me a ton of new superstitions to adhere to back in the 1970s and I did for some time.  It took me some time to let go of them.  I did though.  One of them was If you drop a fork then step on it or you'll have bad luck.  I don't drop forks too often but when I do now I don't step on it--lol.


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## WheatenLover

I don't think I'll have bad luck for 7 years if I break a mirror.

I do knock on wood (except I say "knock on Formica"). I don't believe it works, though. It's just an expression that comes out of my mouth, unbidden, from time to time.


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## Paco Dennis

Doesn't everyone have rituals that they do everyday that they believe will give them good luck, make them feel better, help them feel secure, etc...? We know that these things have no factual evidence and the motivating force is hope and living a life that is happier.  We see what we believe, not the other way around. We are living most all of life with believing are own imagination, which is always just an approximation. I find most opinions to be superstitious. They are superstitious in accordance with one's own confirmation bias.


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## Paco Dennis

Superstition is as old as time, and will continue to guide human progress or the lack thereof into our future. To celebrate Superstition I wrote a song 15 years ago. I have put other songs I wrote on this forum and was surprised that no one commented on them. Feel free to comment, even if you think they are worthless. 

https://www.seniorforums.com/threads/any-musicians-on-the-forum.59697/post-1801166


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## Matrix

I always wonder if it's superstitious to believe in karma.


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## Paco Dennis

Matrix said:


> I always wonder if it's superstitious to believe in karma.


Yes, it is based on superstition. Remember for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.   I think the belief started 1000's of years ago when we became wary of anything that hurt us. Then we began to imagine that some of our actions seemed to cause some reaction either good or bad for us. It is entirely selfish, and there is no proof of "What goes around, comes around" as a universal principle. All beliefs are based on myth, and as I have said before, myth is a very creative way of dealing with life's unanswerable mysteries. (Joseph Campbell's "Power of Myth")  I get a kick out of people who believe in karma. The stories they can weave about the melodrama in their lives is incredible and for me entertaining. So many of our fairy tales and folklore stories are based on "karma". I do see evidence that justice swings, on both an individual and collective level. I think we are experiencing a rising of the unwashed now, and I can't see an end to it unless the powerful elite impose authoritarian control.


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## jerry old

Granny said:
If you drive drunk- you will have a wreck
If you get real drunk- you will have a real bad wreck
If you get dead drunk- you will turn up dead


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## hollydolly

My mother was a Catholic, she was superstitious about everything, ..some people today call Religion superstitious nonsense


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