Superstition: a Wider Perspective Needed

Superstition: A wider perspective needed

In ‘Defense of Superstition’, Hutson (2012) asserts that humans inevitably exhibit some amount of superstition in their behavior and thought and that it is instinctual and acceptable to do so given the psychological benefits that they bring. Hutson justifies his claim with two reasons. He first postulates that belief in superstition can boost self-belief ahead of performance-based tasks, as people perceive that they are better able to influence the outcome when they adhere to their personal superstitious rituals. Secondly, Hutson asserts that irrational beliefs such as the belief in god and karma helps people to assign causality between unrelated events and bring meaning to life instead of accepting chance as the only reason for all happenings. Although his arguments are generally logical and corroborated by evidence, Hutson presents a myopic notion of ‘superstition’. Next, he dismisses the drawbacks of superstition rapidly without weighing up the cases for and against. Lastly, Hutson also fails to deliver persuasive evidence to pillar his case. With his rather lopsided argument and questionable substantiation, Hutson fails to convince me that superstition is beneficial.

Superstition can be broadly defined as “irrational belief in supernatural influences, especially leading to good luck or bad luck or a practice based on such belief”(Oxford, 2010). However, throughout the passage, Hutson inadequately conceptualizes superstition as personalized beliefs intended to bring good luck or beliefs that validate our existence, thereby confining his arguments to the benefits of ‘positive superstition’. This enables him to rapidly dismiss the anti-thesis, as in his last paragraph, by claiming that the absence of irrationality will overwhelm us. However, irrationality has unquestionable downsides that cannot be ignored. Firstly, research has shown that belief in superstition in a person often stems from anxiety and low self-efficacy such that superstitious rituals become coping mechanisms when the outcome is uncertain (Wiseman, 2004). As such, there is a possibility of over-dependence on superstitious rituals. A person forgetting to complete his ritual is bound to face heightened anxiety (Lifehacker, 2012). There is also the belief in unlucky superstition, such as the fear of the number 13 and black cats, which can also reduce confidence. This is the reverse of Hutson’s illustration of good luck rituals promoting confidence. Conceding this dimension would have bestowed balance to his argument making it more acceptable.

With his confinement to a positive and personalized concept of superstition, Hutson also fails to look past the individual level throughout his argument. Superstition is a phenomenon that affects society as a whole. Irrationality has often impeded progress and fuelled conflicts. For example, the caste system in India originally emanated from superstitious beliefs that demeaned certain groups of society (Rath, 1960). Even in the 21st century, the repercussions of such beliefs are still clearly discernible, with the ‘untouchables’ still stuck at the bottom of the social pyramid and devoid of economic parity (Thorat, 2010). This evidently proves how superstition can impede society’s progress. Superstition can also be the mainspring for genocide. This is well summed up by Historian Norman Cohen who concluded that “the drive to exterminate Jews sprang from a quasi-demonological superstition” among the Nazi Germans (Baum, 2008). These examples prove that superstition can have a significant impact on the society as whole. Hence, Hutson should have considered a broader view before making a conclusion.

It is notable that within the limited facet of his argument, Hutson has fashioned a logical set of points that he tries to support with evidence. For example, his point on how superstition promotes confidence and self-control was backed by the golf-ball experiment. His reasoning and the exemplification appear palatable and appeal to the layperson. However the experiment cited was not credible enough to validate his point. The golf-ball experiment used a sample size of twenty-eight (Damisch, 2009), which is far too small to prove any benefit of superstition. Instead, Hutson could have referred to the placebo effect, defined as the beneficial health outcomes elicited by an inert agent (Oken, 2008). The ‘irrational’ administration of the placebo is commonplace in modern medicine for its effect in triggering responses from the body and brain by getting the patient to expect a positive outcome. For example, a team of doctors in Stanford School of Medicine proved that the psychological effect of the placebo administered translated to a measurable reduction in the amount of pain a patient experienced (Stanford Medicine, 2008). Such an example is more convincing and would have lent Hutson’s argument more credence.

In conclusion, Hutson’s assertion that superstition is generally beneficial is hardly compelling. Hutson takes on a confined and blurring representation of superstition making his arguments very lopsided. Morever, he should have extended his interpretation of superstitious behavior to a societal standpoint. Lastly, certain arguments of his needed concrete examples that demonstrated the effects of irrationality better. Hutson’s arguments can only be accepted if superstition was somehow confined to a personal sphere of luck rituals and self-assurance. Very often, that is not the case.

Bibliography

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Hutson, P. (2012, April 6). In Defense of Superstition. The New York
Times Sunday Review: The Opinion Pages. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/08/opinion/Sunday/in-defense-of-superstition.html Lifehacker. (2012, May 3). Embrace the Supernatural: How Superstitions, Placebos and Rituals Help You to Achieve Your Goals. Retrived from http://lifehacker.com/superstitions/

Oken, B.S. (2008). Placebo effects: Clinical aspects and neurobiology.
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Oxford Dictionary. (2010). Retrieved form http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/superstition?q=superstition Rath, R. & Sircar, N.C. (1960): The Cognitive Background of Six
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Standford School of Medicine. (2008, October). The Placebo Effect.
Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udJ31KKXBKk&gl=SG&hl=en-GB

Thorat, S and Newman, K.S. (2007, October 13). Caste and Economic
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Wiseman, R. (2004). MEASURING SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF: WHY LUCKY CHARMS MATTER.
Retrieved from http://www.richardwiseman.com/resources/PAID-charm.pdf

Bibliography: Baum, S.K. (2008, January 16). Research Note: Anti-Semitism and Superstition. Journal of Contemporary Religion 22:1, pages 77-86 Lifehacker. (2012, May 3). Embrace the Supernatural: How Superstitions, Placebos and Rituals Help You to Achieve Your Goals Oken, B.S. (2008). Placebo effects: Clinical aspects and neurobiology. Retrieved from http://brain.oxfordjournals.org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/content/131/11/2812.full.pdf+html Oxford Dictionary. (2010). Retrieved form http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/superstition?q=superstition Rath, R. & Sircar, N.C. (1960): The Cognitive Background of Six Hindu Caste Groups regarding the Low Caste Untouchables Standford School of Medicine. (2008, October). The Placebo Effect. Discrimination: Causes, Consequences and Remedies. Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.42, No. 41 (Oct. 13 – 19, 2007), pp. 4121-4124 Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/stable/40276545?seq=3 Wiseman, R. (2004). MEASURING SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEF: WHY LUCKY CHARMS MATTER. Retrieved from http://www.richardwiseman.com/resources/PAID-charm.pdf