Today I actually wanted to write about something different. I wanted to write what superstition is and how an unsubstantial practice survives through the time of modern technology. Why do some people still believe in it and why some do not?
However as I was reading articles about superstition, the keyword seems to links to black magic and voodoo stuff. Even historical facts pops up telling how bad it was when many superstition practitioners was too obsessed and had many strong supporters. The boon of this behaviour seems to go on and on and with out realisng it, I was half scared myself in writing about it.
I wanted to post about how superstition can be used as an historical fact. For example in Malaysia, there is an ethnic which believe that the souls of the dead people lay rest on the Peak of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Malaysia. Well I am not sure about the soul thing, but I do know that if this belief was passed down from one generation to another, it would mean that even in those days, without a proper measurement, they knew that Mount Kinabalu was the highest peak. Imagine if there was another mountain higher than Mount Kinabalu, wouldn’t the superstition be different?
My post would have tried to link between actual facts with superstition. They must have witnessed some event or stayed in a surrounding which made them believe in their superstition. Some how it started with people observing nature, then it turned into a practice that was passed down to the younger generation.
However, my reading had spooked me even before I started writing. My findings have shown how criminals use the superstition card in their defense of their action. Some even try to escape the law by justifying what they do is not wrong. Thus, making it hard to be on the side where you actually agree that superstition are important facts.
If I choose to disagree, I would have said that superstition allows unscrupulous behaviour to exist. Superstition can actually confuse people with reality. Without a doubt people would have had better life if superstition never existed.
Superstition stuff is actually at a thin line, the line where everyone will hate the existences of it. I have read an article about a professor trying to link the behaviour of a pigeon to superstition but have met strong disagreement from his colleagues. An article of why superstition are stupid are also every where and not hard to find.
In my opinion, superstition can either be good or bad. In some culture superstition are reminders to be safe. For example, the chinese Feng Shui. They have a belief that sharp edges in the house would cause bad luck to the family. It is not entirely a lie as sharp edges could injure small kids. Other example is, do not go out during the shift time of evening to night. In my place this is the most productive time for mosquito and small insects to bite and feed on humans’ blood which could cause dengue or fever by the transmission of these diseases.
When you rethink about it, superstitions are not all bad, humans are. We are the ones who made it look bad. In my defense for superstition is that, there are reasons to why people start doing what they do. It is common sense that some would agree and like while some would criticise and disagree.
However as I was reading articles about superstition, the keyword seems to links to black magic and voodoo stuff. Even historical facts pops up telling how bad it was when many superstition practitioners was too obsessed and had many strong supporters. The boon of this behaviour seems to go on and on and with out realisng it, I was half scared myself in writing about it.
I wanted to post about how superstition can be used as an historical fact. For example in Malaysia, there is an ethnic which believe that the souls of the dead people lay rest on the Peak of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Malaysia. Well I am not sure about the soul thing, but I do know that if this belief was passed down from one generation to another, it would mean that even in those days, without a proper measurement, they knew that Mount Kinabalu was the highest peak. Imagine if there was another mountain higher than Mount Kinabalu, wouldn’t the superstition be different?
My post would have tried to link between actual facts with superstition. They must have witnessed some event or stayed in a surrounding which made them believe in their superstition. Some how it started with people observing nature, then it turned into a practice that was passed down to the younger generation.
However, my reading had spooked me even before I started writing. My findings have shown how criminals use the superstition card in their defense of their action. Some even try to escape the law by justifying what they do is not wrong. Thus, making it hard to be on the side where you actually agree that superstition are important facts.
If I choose to disagree, I would have said that superstition allows unscrupulous behaviour to exist. Superstition can actually confuse people with reality. Without a doubt people would have had better life if superstition never existed.
Superstition stuff is actually at a thin line, the line where everyone will hate the existences of it. I have read an article about a professor trying to link the behaviour of a pigeon to superstition but have met strong disagreement from his colleagues. An article of why superstition are stupid are also every where and not hard to find.
In my opinion, superstition can either be good or bad. In some culture superstition are reminders to be safe. For example, the chinese Feng Shui. They have a belief that sharp edges in the house would cause bad luck to the family. It is not entirely a lie as sharp edges could injure small kids. Other example is, do not go out during the shift time of evening to night. In my place this is the most productive time for mosquito and small insects to bite and feed on humans’ blood which could cause dengue or fever by the transmission of these diseases.
When you rethink about it, superstitions are not all bad, humans are. We are the ones who made it look bad. In my defense for superstition is that, there are reasons to why people start doing what they do. It is common sense that some would agree and like while some would criticise and disagree.
Well, superstitions are not exactly stupid. In an environment where scientific knowledge doesn't exist superstitions allow people to make sense of the world around them - the very capricious and moody world, to be exact. Before the Enlightenment Era it was superstitions that formed the basis of common knowledge like the earth is flat or that the sun revolves around the earth. But by using scientific tools people like Galileo and Copernicus managed to disabuse the errant beliefs. Another example: Think of a tribe that lives deep in the forest with barely any contact with the outside world. How does this tribe comprehend the natural vagaries of its immediate environment without the benefit of proper scientific knowledge? In comes the beliefs in spirits, hantus and such, as a form of explanation.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, sorry for the long-winded comment. It's an interesting topic though.
hey..hey... whats the sorry for...we are sharing and exchanging ideas... not a bad thing at all. :)
ReplyDelete