SUPERSTITION
Illiterate and weak minded people all over the world often are a prey to superstitions. Their lives are ruled by them and that base their actions on the various superstitious beliefs. Superstitious people can be called backward. They mend to interpret every phenomenon irrationally. They assess a happing illogically and even guide actions on the basis of these beliefs. Although most people know that superstitions are based on imagination and are now where close to the truth, but quite a few people are still guided by superstitions.
For example some common superstitions are thirteen is an unlucky number, if a black cat erases one’s path, some misfortune will be fall the person whose path was crossed; if one sneezes before beginning a few job it shall not be completed without any problem etc. Once those events occur, it becomes difficult for the superstitious person to continue with his work.
Superstition and ‘luck’ are closely associated. When a person watches two sparrows, it is believed that he will have abundant joy. The howling of dogs, spilling of milk of salt, walking under a ladder, falling of picture or mirror is associated with ill luck. There are many superstitions that Indians cling to. There are ridiculous to a person who has a scientific outlook to life. Men with such a bent of mind do not believe in fiction. They require proof and their views of events is always objective. They are not the victims of ignorance.
But now education and science have to a great extent enlightened man. They have unraveled man mysteries and removed a number of superstitions. Even in other countries of the world, superstitions are believed in. For example it is believed that if comets appear in the sky, they predict the emperor’s doom. Another superstition is that if a person dies of drowning, some spirits await him. The difference is that India is still more given to superstition while these are fast disappearing mostly in other countries except in a very few backward ones.
Superstition can never been relied up on. An educated mind is never swayed by them. After all there is no logical connection between owl’s hording and the approaching calamity. In short, a person can never progress in life if his approach to things is not objective. In fact he should lead people out of ignorance in to the lights of beliefs and knowledge.