Comments on: Jinxing It http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/ The official blog of the Skeptologists Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:32:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: bj http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-2632 bj Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:24:07 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-2632 jinxes are just a small insurance policy for us who cant stand that religious shite! jinxes are just a small insurance policy for us who cant stand that religious shite!

]]> By: Max http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-1066 Max Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:24:48 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-1066 Mike's "Observer" article points out that John McCain has been very superstitious ever since he was a Navy pilot. Didn't seem to work for him either then or now. Mike’s “Observer” article points out that John McCain has been very superstitious ever since he was a Navy pilot. Didn’t seem to work for him either then or now.

]]> By: Frank Paulson http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-1064 Frank Paulson Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:52:19 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-1064 Not to nitpick, but THE SCOTTISH PLAY is MacBeth, Hamlet is set in Denmark (something rotten...). As a Cubs fan I know all about jinxes, curses, and all manner of bad luck. The town almost lynched a guy named Bartman(figuratively) over a supposed curse a few years back and they literally exploded a baseball (Mythbusters style) to end the jinx. Three and out this year, didn't seem to work. Not to nitpick, but THE SCOTTISH PLAY is MacBeth, Hamlet is set in Denmark (something rotten…).

As a Cubs fan I know all about jinxes, curses, and all manner of bad luck. The town almost lynched a guy named Bartman(figuratively) over a supposed curse a few years back and they literally exploded a baseball (Mythbusters style) to end the jinx. Three and out this year, didn’t seem to work.

]]> By: Adam http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-1042 Adam Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:23:46 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-1042 Has anyone done any theater work? I did some plays in high school and the drama coach absolutely flipped out when I mentioned Hamlet when I was on stage. She screamed, "ITS THE SCOTTISH PLAY". The coach was an athiest and a very rational lady, but still had her old superstitions pertaining to acting. I had to stand on stage and recite the "Double, double, toil and trouble" bit backwards. Never say "Hamlet" in a theater, bad things will happen. Has anyone done any theater work? I did some plays in high school and the drama coach absolutely flipped out when I mentioned Hamlet when I was on stage. She screamed, “ITS THE SCOTTISH PLAY”. The coach was an athiest and a very rational lady, but still had her old superstitions pertaining to acting. I had to stand on stage and recite the “Double, double, toil and trouble” bit backwards.
Never say “Hamlet” in a theater, bad things will happen.

]]> By: Max http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-994 Max Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:02:17 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-994 Is it too early to mention Tecumseh's Curse? I wouldn't want to jinx Bush. http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/a/tecumseh.htm Is it too early to mention Tecumseh’s Curse? I wouldn’t want to jinx Bush.
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/a/tecumseh.htm

]]> By: Mike http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-992 Mike Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:28:18 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-992 I really enjoyed reading this posting. It reminded me of an article I just read in the American Psychological Science magazine, Observer, about why we believe in superstitions: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=2412 I really enjoyed reading this posting. It reminded me of an article I just read in the American Psychological Science magazine, Observer, about why we believe in superstitions:
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=2412

]]> By: Gerry http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-948 Gerry Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:04:40 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-948 I work in entertainment, and I spend a lot of time with creative people. I've found that there are people who like to talk and talk about projects they want to do, but never do anything with the idea except talk about it. These people tend to be annoying, because ideas are a dime a dozen, but to actually take that idea and turn it into something substantial is rare. So maybe the jinx idea comes out of a sort of "put your money where your mouth is!" attitude. I work in entertainment, and I spend a lot of time with creative people. I’ve found that there are people who like to talk and talk about projects they want to do, but never do anything with the idea except talk about it. These people tend to be annoying, because ideas are a dime a dozen, but to actually take that idea and turn it into something substantial is rare. So maybe the jinx idea comes out of a sort of “put your money where your mouth is!” attitude.

]]> By: Max http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-938 Max Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:22:58 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-938 Why is this particular superstition so powerful? I think it's the fear of talking about something, and then seeing that very thing go bad. The apparent causal relationship is more specific than between, say, breaking a mirror and bad luck. But imagine if "jinxing" were believed to bring good luck instead of bad luck. Then, people wouldn't shut up about their hopes. I wonder if there are more bad luck superstitions than good luck superstitions, due to our fear of loss. Why is this particular superstition so powerful? I think it’s the fear of talking about something, and then seeing that very thing go bad. The apparent causal relationship is more specific than between, say, breaking a mirror and bad luck.

But imagine if “jinxing” were believed to bring good luck instead of bad luck. Then, people wouldn’t shut up about their hopes.

I wonder if there are more bad luck superstitions than good luck superstitions, due to our fear of loss.

]]> By: Ian Mason http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-917 Ian Mason Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:27:45 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-917 "Pride cometh before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Old Testament) Hubris and Nemesis (Greek myths) There must be more out there somewhere. Some common human experience must be behind them. Perhaps as llewelly suggests, it's a good tactic to keep quiet about something, as "the best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley" (Robert Burns) The small rituals so common to many are surely a form of concentrating the mind before making a special effort and therefore simple, everyday psychology? And I confess, I won't kill spiders - an old English superstition that's part of my social inheritance from my Dad. “Pride cometh before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall”
(Old Testament) Hubris and Nemesis (Greek myths) There must be more out there somewhere. Some common human experience must be behind them.
Perhaps as llewelly suggests, it’s a good tactic to keep quiet about something, as “the best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley” (Robert Burns)
The small rituals so common to many are surely a form of concentrating the mind before making a special effort and therefore simple, everyday psychology?
And I confess, I won’t kill spiders – an old English superstition that’s part of my social inheritance from my Dad.

]]> By: ejdalise http://skepticblog.org/2008/11/22/jinxing-it/#comment-915 ejdalise Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:10:45 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=455#comment-915 I believe the show Taxi has one episode where Elaine unwittingly jinxed a player she was seeing, and the team lost the game. She was then ostracized by strangers and friends alike. That was one of the first times I saw the other side of small superstitions. Since then, if I catch myself beginning to give some import to an article of clothing, a ritual, or some inanimate object, I force myself to purposefully deviate from the routine, or change clothing, or do whatever it takes to go against it. I want to prove to myself that whatever happens it's not because I carry some artifact, but it's the result of my actions. And I want to ensure I do not become a slave to the superstitions that support these actions I would suggest everyone follows the same path; fight your own superstitions first, or you cannot be of any use to anyone who might need your help. I believe the show Taxi has one episode where Elaine unwittingly jinxed a player she was seeing, and the team lost the game. She was then ostracized by strangers and friends alike. That was one of the first times I saw the other side of small superstitions.

Since then, if I catch myself beginning to give some import to an article of clothing, a ritual, or some inanimate object, I force myself to purposefully deviate from the routine, or change clothing, or do whatever it takes to go against it. I want to prove to myself that whatever happens it’s not because I carry some artifact, but it’s the result of my actions. And I want to ensure I do not become a slave to the superstitions that support these actions

I would suggest everyone follows the same path; fight your own superstitions first, or you cannot be of any use to anyone who might need your help.

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