Do you know that even the world’s top footballers have their superstitions?
Superstitions are psychological defense mechanisms that give a sense of safety (albeit a misplaced one).
Let us say a footballer plays a wonderful match, where he scores goal after goal. But in the very next match, he is a total flop. Naturally, his brain wants to make sense of this random event.
That is when he notices that in the winning match, he was wearing a particular pair of socks. Now his mind has made a connection. That pair of socks means good luck.
In the next match, he again wears that ‘lucky pair of socks’, and let us say, he happens to do well. Now the superstition is solidified. He is now scared of wearing any other pair of socks in any match.
This may seem far-fetched but it isn’t. In fact, there are legends about footballers who put on a particular sock first, put on the jersey in a particular way, and so on.
When our brain perceives a threat, it triggers a threat response process (‘anxiety’) even without conscious awareness. These superstitions are defense mechanisms against that anxiety.
So what is the problem with these superstitions?
The problem is that the ‘threat’ is not real. And by avoiding that threat through superstitious behavior, we are allowing those threat perceptions to stay alive. We never give ourselves the chance to expose ourselves to those threats and discover that they are not real!
Corresponding to every superstition, there is a threat lurking somewhere keeping us perpetually anxious. And when there are too many of these superstitions, life can feel pretty nerve-wracking.
When taken to an extreme, these superstitions can evolve into obsessive-compulsive disorders or something as debilitating.
Also, when we are fearful, people can exploit us by selling ‘safety objects’ (e.g., gems, rings, etc.).
Superstitions can haunt every one of us — not just footballers or politicians or any special kind of folks.
In my view, it makes no sense to keep living in fear. It is much better to expose ourselves to those fears and discover that the threats are not real.
So if your red t-shirt makes you feel safe, wear the blue one for a few days and see what happens. If wearing an amulet makes you feel safe, don’t wear it for a few days and see.
When we let go of these fears, we earn something precious — ‘mental freedom.’
– Rajan