superstition

SUPERSTITION

The dictionary defines superstition as follows:

Superstition :
Superstition Su`per*sti"tion, n. [F. superstition, L.
 superstitio, originally, a standing still over or by a thing;
 hence, amazement, wonder, dread, especially of the divine or
 supernatural, fr. superstare to stand over; super over +
 stare to stand. See Super-, and Stand.]

 1. An excessive reverence for, or fear of, that which is
 unknown or mysterious.

This definition is interesting, but not particularly helpful,  The dictionary goes on to say:

 2. An ignorant or irrational worship of the Supreme Deity;
 excessive exactness or rigor in religious opinions or
 practice; extreme and unnecessary scruples in the
 observance of religious rites not commanded, or of points
 of minor importance; also, a rite or practice proceeding
 from excess in religion.

This is more useful and emphasizes the nature of religion. Then there is this:

 4. Belief in the direct agency of superior powers in certain
 extraordinary or singular events, or in magic, omens,
 prognostics, or the like.
 Syn: Fanaticism.

Which is more to the point.

Another way of putting it is that superstition involves a belief in non-causal relationships between events.  So a belief that your “birth sign” has some influence on your life is superstitious because the is no causal relationship between the stars and human life.


Superstition also involves a belief in the supernatural.  A definition of this term is also in order:

Supernatural, Preternatural. Preternatural
 signifies beside nature, and supernatural, above or
 beyond nature.
What is very greatly aside from the
 ordinary course of things is preternatural; what is
 above or beyond the established laws of the universe
 is supernatural.
 The dark day which terrified all Europe nearly a century ago was preternatural; the resurrection of the dead is supernatural.
 "That form which the earth is under at present is preternatural, like a statue made and broken again.
 --T. Burnet.
 "Cures wrought by medicines are natural operations;
 but the miraculous ones wrought by Christ and his
 apostles were supernatural."
 --Boyle.

 Being beyond, or exceeding, the power or laws of nature;
 miraculous.
 [1913 Webster]

those are a couple of illustrative examples.  What is important is that all superstitious beliefs are irrational, illogical, and absurd  not to  put too fine a point on it.

So why do so many people have so many superstitious beliefs.  There have been reams of paper written on this subject; most of it interesting, but much of it beside the point. What is important for this essay is the reasons that people hold such beliefs, rather than the beliefs themselves.  When you say something is irrational and illogical or just plain ignorant and/or stupid, the is not much more to be said about it.  There is little point in making distinctions among different kinds of nonsense.


The reasons are important because in order to wean a person away from this firmly held beliefs, you must understand how he came to believe them in the first place.  Given that they are absurd on the face.

 If many superstitions arise out of ignorance, it must be remembered that in past times all humans lived in a state of ignorance to a greater or lesser degree, depending on time and place.  So our ancestors can be excused for believing specious explanations for the objects and events in their world when the true explanation was not obvious, and was beyond the scope of their knowledge.

Humans are explanation seeking animals, and when an explanation is not apparent will make up one to seemingly fit the facts,  These may seem laughable to us from our advanced perspective, but may make perfect sense to the believer.

However we are not living in primitive times anymore.  We now have the advantage of science and it's tools of investigation and explanation.  So there is no excuse for the continuation of superstitious beliefs.  Or so t would seem.  Unfortunately this is obviously not the case.  I would venture to say that a higher percentage of the world population holds superstitious beliefs now than any time in the past, including the “Dark Ages”.  This is apparent everywhere you look.  Popular media is infested with vampires, werewolves, ghosts and spirits and similar nonsense.   Millions of people believe in alien visitations, UFO abductions, and mythical creatures that are supposedly hiding in our midst

So where do these beliefs come from?  As I said above, many are the result of ignorance,  Yet most such beliefs persist in the face of overwhelming evidence of their nonsense,  This calls for some kind of explanation.  Belief can be defined as holding a proposition to be true in spite of lack of  any evidence of it's truth and in spite of all evidence to the contrary.  This is a perfect definition of religious belief, which is nothing more than systematized, organized superstition.