The fact is that I, in my personal crusade against the fraud, the wrong way because I have to score a lot of details ( here you can see a graphical list of most popular superstitions, the 20 is what explains the rise of mp3 xD): I have to remember to get out of bed left foot first posing, sleeping every night with socks (and I assure you that summer is not cool at all), I look down the street ladders and scaffolding to go under like a man possessed but not always find work (how easy you have it you who live in Madrid, you bastards!) . Anyway I do not think that crazy, before passing under a ladder or scaffold, first check the structural integrity just in case ... Some I can not do because I get profitable: it is not me half pay plan every month in mirrors. Finally, a can, but nothing, no way to have bad luck. I've already sold a few things I have been given away and the worst thing that has happened is that I got a good price for them. There is no law. I'm starting to think of bad luck this is a scam or at best, a matter of perspective, that is, to see a little of what we want to see and not what is in reality, which in turn and in my opinion, has to do with the belief that one is rooted in the depths of its intricate mind.
The problem I see in superstitions is that, firstly, are contrary to reason and accept something contrary to reason without question encourages conformity, mental laziness and stagnation in the absence of criticism or skepticism, which may favor "brainwashing" very lucrative for charlatans and sellers of smoke, and incidentally also for politicians and the media. Ie: do not question things, not accustomed to thinking, generates sheep, easily influenced people. And contrary to the reason for establishing causal relationships between things supernatural kind. Imply that two events are linked together by the action of entities that vary according to the beliefs that are, from the destination to the spirits, through the stars. The thing is compounded further when we realize that many superstitions are not even consistent with their own superstitions, finding that while people who believe in bad luck also believe, for example, that destiny is written. Rationally are two contradictory ideas because if the destination is written, it will not change even if I put a break mirrors as if there was no tomorrow. Sometimes they are mixed with religious beliefs. Is it consistent to believe in God to believe in bad luck? Bad news for the believers superstitious belief in God becomes the same as believing that destiny is written, because the destination is it that God declared to be, whether they spill salt, oil or vinegar.
I think the ultimate key is a possible starting basic belief, which leads to all others, the "belief" mother ": the idea that everything has a scientific or rational explanation, or some things may they do not, can there be a supernatural explanation for both is fantastic. This gap can be filled with superstitions and irrational beliefs of all kinds, because in this small space the filter is not critical and skeptical thinking. This requires the systematic questioning, requires proof of everything and "evidence" is not worth anything, not even personal experiences isolated, only experiments in controlled conditions, objective and repeatable. The scientific method final. It is a not to be fooled by appearances ever and always seek scientific explanation without falling into easy and seductive associations of type "if X did And then came, then X causes Y, which is the origin of many superstitions. On the other hand, if ever happens always or almost always happens, X is around, there must be clear that correlation does not equal causation , ie in any case could have a relationship, but would still have to determine what type. That little hole is left open to fantasy has another drawback: the insecurity and fear generate these irrational beliefs, sometimes even obsessive. And I think that fear is precisely for this reason, it left open the door to injustice creates fear, because the man always fear what they do not understand. Pero digo yo que si no sabemos o entendemos algo, podemos al menos tratar de informarnos sobre el asunto en lugar de encerrarnos en nuestra feliz ignorancia.
Ejemplo:
Marcos va todos los viernes al mercado a comprar su refresco favorito y lo guarda en la nevera. Tras beberlo bien fresquito, el sábado o el domingo cae enfermo, pongamos que de gripe. Una rápida pero errónea conclusión podría conducirnos a asociar el "beber el refresco frío" con la enfermedad, es decir, que la causa de ésta sea la baja temperatura del refresco. La realidad tiende a demostrar que las relaciones suelen ser más complejas y que necesitan de un análisis más pormenorizado: de lunes a viernes Marcos have to go to class, where you have to share space (and air) with other kids like him, some of which coughed and sneezed showing possible symptoms of flu. Mark could catch at school and, after an appropriate incubation period, develop the disease just in time to make it appear that the cause is the soda, the only unusual element of the equation for your mother or grandmother. Obviously, neither her mother nor her grandmother know how transmitting a contagious or infectious disease which is an incubation period.
And how are you, in my humble opinion, a lot. Something bad must have happen to someone that whoever was closest to him, the last thing he remembers is passed under a ladder (or saw a black cat or the salt shed, or broke a mirror, or open an umbrella indoors, etc). Then, this first statement may be "confirmed" by other people partly by suggestion, so that whoever hears it "looks" in its report signs of the same, the same acts, without analyzing even if the conditions are comparable. Is the "Hey, now that you mention it, Marisa, the other day at the fish ... On the same principle also underlies seers and fortune tellers. They have developed an extraordinary ability to read people, the rest do their own customers for accommodating suggestion memories (of which modern neuroscience tells us is a creative process and not an exact storage like the hard disk of a computer) to the words of the witch, a bit too accommodating as creationists do reality to the Bible consideration rather than the reverse, it would be reasonable.
And this is the intelligence around the house, the show of pride and incredible act of human stupidity that leads to our mothers or grandmothers who can not read a manual of medicine because the symptoms have all read, from A to Z. What we will consult with experts if we have the arrogance to believe that what we have, we can solve it or diagnose it ourselves?
Esa es, en mi opinión, la primera elección que hacemos, la primera decisión importante que tomamos, para muchos puede que incluso sin pararse a pensarlo, y creo que lo hacemos bastante pronto y esta creencia central condiciona la instauración de muchas creencias posteriores que se construyen sobre ella. Esta cuestión se agrava cuando, además, sabiendo cómo funciona nuestro sistema nervioso central, y que las creencias previas condicionan también nuestras percepciones, en función de lo que creamos cribaremos también la información de que dispongamos y tenderemos a interpretar las cosas de forma congruente con esas creencias, tomando más fácilmente la información consonante o fijándonos más fácilmente in the details that tend to corroborate that those who tend to question them. This is what we must refer a bit when Professor Hood said that irrational beliefs can not be eliminated and, in fact, the brain works a little superstitious. The list of cognitive biases , the "mental traps" in which we fall, and actually fall is often very long.
However, the "everything must have a scientific explanation" need not lead to stubborn and petulant attitudes as with a lot of superstitious people to be offended if insinuating that may be wrong. In fact, the correct application of scientific reasoning does not allow state beyond where the evidence permits, so more than a "do not believe in superstitions," for example, would be a "without affirming or denying, I have reasons to believe" , the same answer that I apply for existence of God and many other things.
Reading:
Wikipedia entry on the superstition
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