Stop crying! Why do some people believe in constellations?

It is also a virgin month. As the most thoroughly hacked constellation, Virgo is actually very fragile.

In the middle of last month, Shenzhen traffic police released the data of twelve constellations running red lights. Since the launch of the "Green Vest" campaign on August 3rd, Virgo is the largest number of 99 people who have been investigated for repeatedly running red lights. Netizens can't help but sigh: it's too dark for Virgo to cross the road! Some netizens refused to accept that Virgo is very cautious and rarely runs a red light. No matter whether the Shenzhen traffic police are really fans of constellations or publicize the traffic rules in this entertaining way, the influence of constellations in China society should not be underestimated.

There must be some sharing in your circle of friends from time to time: "The constellation you are most reluctant to let go of in love", "The dark side of the twelve constellations makes you cry" and "The seat of xx that can't afford to be hurt" ... even if you don't know the constellation, you will be "literate" in some constellations (for example, the author who is blind in the constellation also knows "Cancer").

A survey by Sina. Com shows that 47.5% people often pay attention to constellations, and 29.7% people think constellations are interesting. Only 1.48% people are "not very interested" in constellations. The basic assumption of the constellation is to predict people and things with astronomical phenomena. As human imagination breaks through the sky, the shapes of stars arranged at different distances are vividly defined as different constellation symbols. Since ancient times, many people believe that these silent constellations in the sky will have an impact on what happens on earth.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, both Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi like to watch celestial phenomena at night. When Sima Laoer saw the stars falling in the autumn wind, he knew that Kongming was dead. According to the genealogy of Ma surname in Huaining, in the second year of Northern China (96 1), Ma Yize was called to study astronomy in China. Ma Yize and his son introduced the calculation method of the position of the zodiac and the date when the sun entered the palace into China astronomy. His third son, Ma Yi, served in the army, and used astrology in the army, which was associated with the twelve qi in the twenty-four solar terms, as the basis for Liu Ren's divination. The zodiac signs, namely Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Lion, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius, were used in the general compendium of martial arts classics in the Northern Song Dynasty (104 1048).

Su Shi, an ancient poet in China, is a veritable astrologer. When he found that he and his idol Han Yu were both Capricorn, he attributed their ill-fated reasons to the constellation: "Retreat the poem cloud: when I was born, the moon fought against the moon." I know that grinding scorpions is my palace and my life after retirement. I have been slandered many times in my life, and I am getting sick! " To some extent, I believe that constellations reflect different outlook on life, values and world outlook systems. If the constellation difference is too big, it will become a century-old problem like "tofu brain is sweet or salty", and even cause estrangement between relatives and friends, and husband and wife turn against each other.

Sociological interpretation of "constellation fever"

1, Barnum effect

Fowler effect, also known as astrology effect, is a psychological phenomenon proved by psychologist bertram Fowler in 1948. After he finished a set of personality tests for his students, he distributed them and told them that the report was "unique". In fact, the content of each character analysis report is the same. He asked the students to rate the accuracy of the report, with a score ranging from 0 to 5, and the final average score was 4.26.

The full text of the analysis report is as follows:

"You want others to like you and admire you. You tend to be strict with yourself. You have a lot of untapped potential. Although there are some defects in your character, you can try to overcome them as a whole. You have encountered difficulties and problems when you get along with the opposite sex. To outsiders, you seem to be self-disciplined and steady, but in fact you lack security inside. Sometimes you have serious doubts about your decision. You prefer freedom and change. When you are restricted and bound, you will feel unhappy. You are proud of your independent thinking ability. Without satisfactory evidence, you will not easily accept other people's opinions. You think it unwise to reveal secrets to others too frankly. Sometimes you are outgoing, kind and easy to get along with, but sometimes you are introverted, reserved and full of vigilance. Some of your wishes are unrealistic. The main goal of your life is to pursue stability. "

Oh, my old friend! Do you think it's you? I think most friends in front of the mobile phone screen feel that these descriptions are very similar to themselves, and feel that they must cry, right? But this is not because the writing is clever, but because the report is general and vague, and most of the descriptions are suitable for most normal people. Corresponding to the "falsifiability" mentioned in the last article, it is precisely because the vague description covers a wide range and has an indestructible "No falsifiability" that people can't find the opposite evidence to refute and sit in the right place. The explanation of this experiment is that it is easy for people to believe that a general, vague and empty personality description is in line with their real situation.

"All scientific propositions must have falsifiability, and the theory that can't be false can't be a scientific theory", which is a concept put forward by the famous scientific philosopher karl popper in his book Conjecture and Refutation. It is precisely because some predictions and descriptions produced by Constellation are too broad and vague, so any results in reality can be regarded as consistent with such predictions. The author casually searched Virgo's fortune this year: "Academically, Virgo, who has been working hard, will have no pressure, but if you haven't made a plan, it will be more difficult in the first half of the year." Virgo friends can't help nodding at first sight, but it's not hard to see that this sentence actually applies to any student with normal intelligence and academic performance. It can't be overthrown, and it can't be falsified, so constellation prediction has a magical power that people believe.

The author also randomly searched Libra's attitude towards love on a website, and the result is this: Capricorn, Gemini and Scorpio are all single-minded. There are many aspects of human sexuality and personality, and there are more sexuality than personality than you expected. Therefore, the descriptions of each constellation are overlapping and have their own personality projections.

2. Positive example fallacy effect

The fallacy effect of positive examples refers to the perceptual errors caused by people only paying attention to the information that meets their expectations and ignoring other information. For those who believe in constellations, once you accept the settings given to you by constellations, you can't help but enlarge your behavior that conforms to the description of constellations.

Take Virgo for example (because the image of Virgo is so deeply rooted in people's hearts). Once I accepted my "virgo picky" setting, "every time I go to Shaxian snack bar, I always wipe the dishes and chopsticks with wet wipes. Really neat. " But you ignore the "casual" behavior that you sometimes sit on the floor. On the stage of Barnum effect, there is a positive and false effect. As long as there is the slightest behavior that does not contradict the constellation description, you will be amazed at the "good accuracy". In fact, you are not that "personality".

3. Group pressure

The phenomenon of "constellation fever" exists not only among primary and secondary school students, but also among college students, even among masters and doctors. The Constellation Control Committee will say, "You see, all doctors believe in constellations. Isn't that what constellation science means? " People who don't believe in constellations will say, "I have read books for so many years and still believe in constellations." Really unwise! "

The popularity of constellations among highly educated people does not explain the scientific nature of constellations, nor does it explain people's judgments. In fact, constellations are more magical as entertainment and social tools. In order to avoid the embarrassment when chatting in silence, people often say, "What sign are you in?" Start a conversation. Most people are eager for recognition and afraid of being isolated. In the environment of constellation fever, people's behaviors and thoughts are shaped by groups in the process of socialization. Many people tend to understand, talk about and even really believe in horoscopes in order to fit in.

4. I am in the mirror-others are mirrors.

People live in groups and cannot live without socializing. "Who am I" has gone beyond what your body contains, and many parts are shaped by society. Our self-concept is largely formed by our interaction with others. Charles Horton Cooley, an American sociologist, put forward the concept of "self in the mirror", explaining how others can be our mirrors and let us know ourselves. Follow these three steps to know yourself through the mirror:

1, we imagine how to behave in front of others.

We imagine how others evaluate ourselves.

We judge ourselves according to what others think of us, that is, "internalize" what others think of us and find ourselves.

In the first group interaction environment of "constellation fever", people will actively or passively classify themselves according to their own constellations, and many people will involuntarily give themselves psychological hints according to their own constellation attributes, and imitate their own constellations in front of others. Whenever others show recognition for our behavior (Leo is really lively; Virgo is really perfectionism), we will internalize this evaluation and strengthen our behavior pattern. Because you think you are "that kind of person", you are glad that you have found yourself. So Aries is more and more impulsive, Gemini is more and more changeable, Virgo is more and more perfectionist ... However, all this may not be determined by your birth month, but the result of your subconscious adjustment of your behavior in group communication according to the evaluation of others perceived and internalized in your own mind.

5. Label effect

Humans are creatures who like to classify. From birth, we are taught to classify: gender, wealth, height, thinness, introversion or extroversion, literature or stupidity ... The contact information is too huge and complicated, and classification provides a guide for people to quickly identify things. In many dating programs, the constellations of male and female guests have been displayed on the screen as social features, so that both men and women can quickly "understand".

A friend of the author who believes in horoscopes once said, "Even if you don't believe in horoscopes, it's good to have another way to get to know people. It is always the same. " Constellation has become a subculture, and people can quickly classify and "know" unfamiliar people through easy-to-learn constellation labels.

The influence of "constellation fever"

1, fatalism

"Gemini has a dual personality, and I can't help it."

"We are all Scorpio. The constellation originally said that it would be difficult to get along with, and I can't help it."

"I failed this exam, exactly like the constellation."

People who believe in horoscopes accept their preset personality and life trajectory on their birth date, instead of thinking about the real connection between things and trying to make changes. Constellation is a "religious" tool, which provides them with meaning. They use constellations to explain and simplify their lives and give up the opportunity to make complicated thinking and choices.

2. Stereotype

In fact, many classifications are just smart, simple and rude to label people, and then throw ta into a category. "Do you Cantonese eat everything?" "You Shanghainese are so embarrassed!" Many people have been bothered by this kind of question. Shallow classification, judgment is far greater than understanding, people will only feel "this is it" and will not think about "why". Is the classification of constellations the same?

"Virgos are selfish and narrow-minded. Have sinister intentions. If you can't stand the betrayal and depravity of your friends, please leave Virgo quickly. He is selfish, too selfish to bear; He is sinister and disappointing. "

Similar extreme constellation remarks abound, but Virgo is darker. In the face of people you don't know, as long as you know their date of birth, everyone can turn into a "constellation master" and label him with a constellation, commenting on his behavior and personality. But are the personality boundaries of people in different constellations really that clear? Just because they are the same constellation, will they appreciate each other or help each other?

For themselves, being labeled as a "constellation", constellation believers will subconsciously manage their impressions and make their behavior and personality consistent with the constellation. Constellation exaggerates the heterogeneity of people in different constellations and the homogeneity of people in the same constellation, and solidifies its own views on others and itself in the name of "understanding" and "understanding". This excessive generalization contributes to the stereotype. People are trapped in the shackles of "astrology" but enjoy it, thinking that they have mastered a method to predict their own future and predict the behavior and character of others.

"I am me, it is not the same as fireworks. I am a Virgo, but I don't have cleanliness and an imperfect Virgo. So don't use constellations to describe me. "

"Gee, Virgo is stubborn."

As mentioned above, "why do people believe in constellations" can be explained by science, but what is "whether the constellation theory is scientific" and "scientific standard" needs your consideration. Constellations can influence us, not because they have explanatory power, but because people "need to explain".

References:

Astrology: Is it scientific? From the website: How science works.

Austin Klein. Astrology: Is Astrology Pseudoscience?

16 Introduction to Personality Cultivation

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