| General > General Technical Chat |
| Fear of number 13... |
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| hamster_nz:
I'm just watching Apollo 13 on TV, and remember that growing up in the 70s the fear of number 13 seemed to be a real thing (the phobia, that it) - talk of buildings skipping floor 13 because people would be spooked, and skipping house numbers. Is this still a thing? Was it ever a thing? Or is it just a long forgotten craze phase like Bigfoot, UFOs and Pyramid Power? |
| I wanted a rude username:
That said, at least in Australia, all manner of old superstitions seem to have become rare over the past decades ... triskaidekaphobia among them. The anti-science undercurrent that started in the 1970s has replaced them as the go-to irrationality. |
| hamster_nz:
--- Quote from: blueskull on April 19, 2020, 08:21:18 am ---Superstition can have a market, it's just part of human nature, nothing to do with stupidity or being backwards. --- End quote --- I don't think it is anything about people with superstitions being being stupid or backwards... I'm more wondering if in the early 70s a large number of people believed the mission was jinxed because of it, or was it a jibe at part of popular culture of the day. Judging by things like this, they were 100% serious: I shouldn't really be surprised: "On Wednesday, prime minister Jacinda Ardern and Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield were asked to respond to claims 5G is causing Covid-19." https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018742340/5g-conspiracy-question-ignites-debate-on-press-performance |
| engrguy42:
One of the great truths about human behavior that is well known in the psychological sciences but rarely mentioned is this: "People believe what they want to believe. Facts are irrelevant". We all suffer from it to one degree or another, but nobody will ever admit it. Feel free to search for research papers on the subject. There are tons. So yeah, the list of things people believe about stuff that is in direct opposition to facts is perhaps the longest list in the universe. :D |
| GlennSprigg:
--- Quote from: blueskull on April 19, 2020, 08:21:18 am ---Superstition can have a market, it's just part of human nature, nothing to do with stupidity or being backwards. The same superstition is in China too, for number 14, which pronounces like "going to die". In many business building there is no floor 14, rather a floor 13A. The Cantonese people particularly care about this. My company which is a shell company used as a legal contract shop front registered in HK is located on F13A of a building. Number 4 being related to death is built in the language of Chinese and Japanese, but it seems like the Cantonese is particularly sensitive to this. And it doesn't stop the Cantonese being the richest people in Eastern Asia. They tend to be the richest in their community even worldwide. --- End quote --- I have quite a few 'Asian' relatives, that have lovingly & welcomely come into our present family. It always gets me why/how they are so superstitious about certain numbers etc. But there is a WIDER concern I have for some of their 'beliefs'... We all know about their vast interest in 'ancient' herbal medicines etc. and some of the things that they buy/desire/believe. And it usually goes without saying, that a lot of them have great business acumen, and are leaders in the world in regards to Electronics & Computer Programming etc. etc. That's a 'given', and good luck to them! However, that's why I don't understand SOME of them for having such naive and massively ignorant beliefs regarding some of their 'herbal' (animal/organic) purchases!!! (May I explain one...)... SOME, (even highly educated people), buy/use ground up Rhinoceros-Horn... (Sigh). Why?? Because the horns look 'Phallic', so they think it may alleviate their 'erectile' dis-functions etc. (Sigh). However, even totally junior organic people over the rest of the world, know & understand that it is made from nothing but fiber/hair!!!!!! Ok, many centuries ago, they may not have understood that, but today they DO!!! Today, the MASSIVE decline in Rhinoceros populations in Africa, is DIRECTLY attributed to this belief, and hence the monetary gain for Poachers to HUNT THEM !! Without THAT, the whole problem goes away OVER NIGHT!! This is fucking '2020' not '1250'. (Off soap box) :-[ |
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