Opinion

Sharing superstitions

Michael Jordon always wore his old college shorts under his NBA uniform, Bjorn Borg would not shave if he was winning during a tournament, and Tiger Woods wears a red shirt on Sundays, and they do it, according to a German study of superstition, for good luck. What's more, this German research found that there might be something in it. Over a series of tests on a putting green, the researchers found that golfers putting with a ball they believed was lucky had a success rate 34 per cent higher than those putting with a ball they believed was unlucky!

Yet we all know - the 'all' may be overly ambitious, given my belief that religion is a code of superstitions - that superstition is irrational and nonsense. The ol' crossed fingers, rabbit's foot, walking under ladders and dashboard-mounted St Christopher medallions can change not a thing, but the lucky golf balls suggest otherwise. Is it confidence breeding success?

The German study notes that many studies have found that the superstitious are more likely to have a low capacity for critical thinking, poor logical reasoning and a low IQ, and despite that I'll tell you of one of my flirtations with luck. When I see a digit repeated as the time on a digital clock, as in 3.33, I regard it as bad luck to glance again at the clock for some time, which requires careful effort on my return if I've noticed the clock as I rise at night.

It's time for you to unburden. What are your secret superstitions?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 4/05/2010 5:15:00 PM | Comments (47)

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I CAN'T STAND people who say "touch wood" and then actively look for, and touch, some wood. Idiots.

Posted by Fugazi, 5/05/2010 9:56:51 AM, on The Herald

I'm with you Fugazi. Saying "touch wood" is sufficient.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 5/05/2010 10:00:12 AM

I used to figure someone was talking about and/or bad mouthing me when my ears itched. Considering human nature and the need to make oneself feel better by 'bagging" someone else and my often strained relationship with the majority of the human race, it all made perfectly good sense to me however, now I get what is commonly called "phantom itch" (itching where something used to be), so I guess that superstition is now blown out of the water. I know of many people who use "tarot" cards etc; and the Chinese have a system of throwing coins, which is believed to be infallible, The people I know that use "divining tools" are neither low IQ or have poor logical thinking process etc; they simply believe. A lot like or similar to Christians and other religious people. Some people I knew always reckoned I was "tinny" (lucky). I could debate that all day long. I am probably lucky to be alive though.

Posted by suzhousid, 5/05/2010 10:15:17 AM, on The Herald

So the religious have poor logical reasoning and a low IQ. Love it! Maybe a few of the clergy could use that as their next excuse.

Posted by G, 5/05/2010 10:21:19 AM, on The Herald

It makes good safety sense not to walk under ladders.

Posted by thinkitthrough, 5/05/2010 10:38:28 AM, on The Herald

some sportsmen find it unlucky to sell drugs on the side.

Posted by PC Plod, 5/05/2010 10:41:44 AM, on The Herald

I guess if you believe something enough, it can give you a sense of calm therefore being able to carry out your day (or putt, dunk, bowl) in a more successful manner.

Posted by leahkf, 5/05/2010 10:48:22 AM, on The Herald

Hey Jeff, totally off topic, but how did your vegie patch go this last summer? We had some big disappointments - but I was pleased to read a couple of gardening columnists from Newcastle and Sydney who had the same problem, and explained the heavy rain days had something to do with it. The tomatoes split, the zuchinni got some mould thing. However The leb cucumber was very generous as was the eggplants. The eggplant is still producing and I found out it is considered a perennial, and is from the same plant as tobacco, and contains nicotine. Also do you grow Kale, like another journo featured recently in the weekend magazine?

Posted by leahkf, 5/05/2010 10:54:08 AM, on The Herald

watch a charming French movie called "Amelie" - is full of stuff like above, and the "consequences" of same.

Posted by Jean Pierre, 5/05/2010 11:15:01 AM, on The Herald

Some of this behaviour has a name - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...and for the record, I can't take the newspaper from the top of the pile (have to get one from lower in the pile at the newsagents) and always set items (like alarm clocks or treadmill speeds) with a number ending in 5 or 0.

Posted by stevo106, 5/05/2010 12:10:57 PM, on The Herald

Me too, Steve, and I go to any amount of trouble to do so.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 5/05/2010 12:43:14 PM

You have to wonder about people who conduct ceremonies where they pretend to drink the blood and eat the flesh of a 2000 year old jew.

Posted by Jamie, 5/05/2010 12:20:22 PM, on The Herald

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