the.com/superstition
the brain's quiet bet that the universe is keeping score and can be bribed.
means A belief or practice based on the idea that certain actions, objects, or events influence outcomes through supernatural cause and effect rather than evidence or reason.
from From Latin superstitio, built from super- ("over, above") and the root of stare ("to stand") — so something like "a standing over." The exact sense behind that image is debated: some Romans linked it to standing in dread before the divine, others to those who "survived" or outlived something and credited unseen forces. It carried a sniff of disapproval even then, marking excessive or misplaced religious fear. English borrowed it via Old French in the medieval period.
- pigeon proof
- Skinner made birds 'superstitious' by feeding them randomly
- missing floor
- Many buildings skip floor 13 entirely
- knock wood
- Ancient belief spirits lived inside trees
- costly fear
- Friday the 13th measurably dents business and travel
- lucky boost
- Charms genuinely improve performance via confidence alone
walking under ladders — western belief that 13% of people avoid this due to association with gallows and christian last supper
breaking mirrors — roman superstition claiming 7 years bad luck, originating when mirrors cost a year's wages
friday the 13th — modern western superstition observed monthly, with hotels skipping floor 13 in many countries