I'm Lucky. A Bird Pooped on My Head

Charles le Brun, Relation Between Human Physiognomy and that of…

Discovering that a bird pooped on my head was probably one of the most distressing events of my 7th grade career. Tragedy struck during recess, while I was playing an intense game of tag. As I was turning around the playground’s jungle gym, a mass of strange matter landed right on my head. I froze at first, baffled by what the mysterious substance could be. But when I finally reached for my hair and felt the viscous, slimy texture, I knew that it could only mean one thing: bird shit.

Upon hearing the news, my mom rushed to school to pick me up. Though she visibly understood my frustration, she went on to tell me that things may not be as dire as they appeared. She explained that according to our Russian ancestors, getting pooped on by a bird was an omen of good fortune due to the extremely remote possibility of the event happening in the first place. Though it was likely a coincidence, my mom’s words proved to carry some truth. The next week things started to appear a bit brighter, as I not only received an A on my math test, but I also secured a spot on my middle school’s tennis team. 

Superstition subtly shapes our lives, and often does so unnoticed. Few realize that a phrase as banal as "bless you” was historically a protection mechanism against the devil stealing the sneezing individual’s soul. Alternatively, consider the fact that many buildings may not contain a  13th floor, as some tenants would rather avoid the unlucky number and label it 14 or 12B. Even some of the most esteemed airlines, such as Lufthansa or Air France, do not have 13th rows on their aircrafts. The extensive prevalence of superstition pinpoints towards its ubiquitous integration in our cultural institutions and daily lives.

Although there is no single meaning, superstition can be defined as a belief in supernatural forces, and our ability to control the outcome of certain events through different acts and measures. According to this definition, a whopping 1 in 4 individuals in the States would consider themselves superstitious.

Charles le Brun, Relation Between Human Physiognomy and that of…

However, this statistic is a rather poor approximation. Though not everyone crosses the road when they see a black cat or believe in ‘Friday the 13th’, almost everyone attributes supernatural forces to common day-to-day objects. For instance, people characterize certain pens as ‘lucky’ or carry around jewelry that supposedly offers protection.

The definition of the word itself does not provide a sufficient explanation for the concept, as we often act in irrational ways whilst still claiming to not believe in metaphysical forces. We overestimate our rationality and underestimate the control system of our beliefs.

There may, however, exist a pinch of rationality in our irrational convictions. Though superstitions can result in poor decision making, they can also foster the positive headspace necessary for achieving desired outcomes. Sport perfectly exemplifies this phenomenon, as an overwhelming majority of athletes engage in some form of superstitious behavior to bolster self-confidence. Serena Williams, for instance, wears the same pair of lucky socks during her tournaments, and NFL star Brian Urlacher indulges in chocolate chip cookies before each match. As these practices are believed to alleviate tension and provide a sense of control over extenuating circumstances (even if false), they can ultimately lead to improved performance.

It may be that science and superstition are strangely interrelated. Superstitions may be portrayed as personal fictitious beliefs, whilst science, representing the accepted truth of our time, may be regarded as a reliable way of making the extraordinary possible. Superstitions, however, exist independently of science, and are enduring self-contained beliefs, which may then act as supplements to our science-ridden reality.

One might have predicted the extinction of superstition to accompany the rise of science, as most phenomena can now be factually explained. In antiquity, poor weather, lighting, and thunder, were attributed to angry gods. Today we reject this notion and look for explanations in astrophysics and meteorology.

Arguably the most fundamental confluence between science and superstition is our psychological need to explain all observable phenomena. Our constant desire to seek patterns and causal relationships between events, even if there are none, illustrates the development and prevalence of superstition alongside science.

Thus, science exists to provide us with the complete truth, whether it be positive or negative, while superstitions can furnish us with supplementary insight and psychological comfort to understand and embrace them. Indeed, being irrational may not be so irrational after all.