How to treat superstition?

Anxiety leads to anxiety, which is one of the most important reasons why many people are superstitious. Anxiety makes people feel uncomfortable, so people naturally want to do something to relieve it. Interestingly, people do not need to be "correct" or "reasonable" or even "meaningful" to relieve anxiety, as long as they believe it is useful. So it provides an opportunity for superstition.

2. fear.

Fear makes people blind, so they "rush to see a doctor", despair, and even abandon common sense. Humans seem to be getting stronger and stronger, but the "Sword of Damocles" overhead has never really been raised. From ancient fearful beasts, poisonous insects, diseases and floods, to natural and man-made disasters in modern society, and even the ups and downs of life, all are the sources of human fear. Many kinds of superstitions also know this well, relying on the power of "fear" to seize people's hearts and conquer the public.

3. Imitation and emotional contagion.

Psychologist Bandura is a pioneer of social learning theory. He believes that people's social behavior is mainly formed through observation and imitation. The objects of observation and imitation are mainly important people in life. This is probably the so-called "power of example". Therefore, when family members are superstitious, it is a strong psychological hint for children who lack the ability to distinguish. Superstition psychology, emotions and behaviors are thus "passed on" to the next generation, thus being fixed.

4. Barnum effect.

Barnum, a famous psychologist, proved that human beings have a common tendency, that is, they tend to believe those vague descriptions and personality analysis. Especially when these analyses come from so-called "experts" or "authorities". This is the psychological basis of many fortune-telling and astrology. You think he/she is talking about your personal "private affairs", but in fact, he/she is talking more about the commonness of human beings. And what is ambiguous is that either superstitious people will "make up their brains" or the other party will "push the boat with the current". Anyway, you believed it in the end.

5. "Closed-loop" thinking tendency.

In daily life, if our thinking can form a closed "loop" (with a clear explanation and answer, people can "figure it out"), then we will feel safe and controllable. But if there is a gap in this "loop" and it cannot form a closed loop, it will make us very uncomfortable and always feel that "something is wrong."

The persistent concern caused by "unresolved" is simply a kind of torture for people with low tolerance for uncertainty. For those who are eager to seek "answers", superstition just feeds them with ready-made and urgently needed "answers".

6. Rosenthal effect and self-certified prediction.

Rosenthal proved through experiments that people will change their behaviors that meet the above expectations because of the expectations, concerns and love of others (especially teachers and parents). In other words, what others think of you, you may really change in that direction.

And robert merton put forward a more general psychological effect-self-testifying prophecy. It means that if we form an expectation, we may unconsciously shape our behavior to "meet the expectation".

Why do many superstitions look so "divine"? "Rosenthal effect" and "self-testifying prophecy" are important reasons. Superstition is "willing" to set expectations (and most of them are horrible), which is also an important reason why superstition can bring great harm to people. Under the superstitious "terror expectation", people will fall into panic, some will give up on themselves, and even form learned helplessness.