The Allure of Superstition
Whenever you wish you had a little more control over your life than it is possible to have just from known facts, like if you want to know more about the future, it can be tempting to turn toward the unproven.
Astrology
I was a little tempted by astrology as a child. I wanted to know what was in store for me. (My parents told me the answer: whatever I want. But what do I want the most? And of all the things I want, which would turn out the best?)
And so I was tempted by astrology until the day when there was a fire in my brother's room (which we did put out). Then, opening all the windows, I stabbed my hand on a cactus. Then, trying to close the garage door I got my thumb caught in the jamb. And that was the one day I got a bee sting. Fortunately, I was still icing my thumb and could also hold the bag against the sting on my lip.
I checked my horoscope for warnings. Nope. It said it would be a nice day for a walk. Wrong--it's better to be home to help put out the fire.
One could argue that whoever wrote that horoscope did a bad job or that although it applied to most Capricorns, there was something rare in the stars for me. Nevertheless, on the basis of this one data point, I am no longer tempted by astrology.
Prayer
Often people resort to prayer when they are out of ideas for directly controlling some aspect of their lives. I did that once. It totally worked, too. Nevertheless, I am no longer tempted.
Murphy's Law
My latest temptation has been with Murphy's law--the idea that if anything can go wrong, it will. Specifically, I like the idea of setting things up so that whether something goes wrong or not, it's a win-win situation.
For example, the one time I lived alone, my sister asked if she could move in with me. I thought it would be fun, but I also thought of one possible bad consequence: if she moved in with me into my one-bedroom apartment, then Murphy's Law says that's when I would get a new boyfriend. And of course, if I said no, I wouldn't get a boyfriend.
I ignored all that and said yes (and I can't remember for sure, but I do think that I did get a new boyfriend during that period).
Nowadays, R. has a job where on any given day he might or might not get called in to work, any given job might or might not take the expected amount of time to complete, and he's paid by the hour. So it's a little worrying to set up things ahead of time that he might not be able to make it to. Doing so feels a little like asking for "trouble." A little like having the power to help him get more projects or to lengthen his projects. Why, yes, D., we can meet you at the gym at 4:00. (Probably.) R. has a job at 9:00 that should last only two hours.
No, I don't really think I have the power to increase R.'s income by setting up appointments, but it's fun to pretend like I do.
Astrology
I was a little tempted by astrology as a child. I wanted to know what was in store for me. (My parents told me the answer: whatever I want. But what do I want the most? And of all the things I want, which would turn out the best?)
And so I was tempted by astrology until the day when there was a fire in my brother's room (which we did put out). Then, opening all the windows, I stabbed my hand on a cactus. Then, trying to close the garage door I got my thumb caught in the jamb. And that was the one day I got a bee sting. Fortunately, I was still icing my thumb and could also hold the bag against the sting on my lip.
I checked my horoscope for warnings. Nope. It said it would be a nice day for a walk. Wrong--it's better to be home to help put out the fire.
One could argue that whoever wrote that horoscope did a bad job or that although it applied to most Capricorns, there was something rare in the stars for me. Nevertheless, on the basis of this one data point, I am no longer tempted by astrology.
Prayer
Often people resort to prayer when they are out of ideas for directly controlling some aspect of their lives. I did that once. It totally worked, too. Nevertheless, I am no longer tempted.
Murphy's Law
My latest temptation has been with Murphy's law--the idea that if anything can go wrong, it will. Specifically, I like the idea of setting things up so that whether something goes wrong or not, it's a win-win situation.
For example, the one time I lived alone, my sister asked if she could move in with me. I thought it would be fun, but I also thought of one possible bad consequence: if she moved in with me into my one-bedroom apartment, then Murphy's Law says that's when I would get a new boyfriend. And of course, if I said no, I wouldn't get a boyfriend.
I ignored all that and said yes (and I can't remember for sure, but I do think that I did get a new boyfriend during that period).
Nowadays, R. has a job where on any given day he might or might not get called in to work, any given job might or might not take the expected amount of time to complete, and he's paid by the hour. So it's a little worrying to set up things ahead of time that he might not be able to make it to. Doing so feels a little like asking for "trouble." A little like having the power to help him get more projects or to lengthen his projects. Why, yes, D., we can meet you at the gym at 4:00. (Probably.) R. has a job at 9:00 that should last only two hours.
No, I don't really think I have the power to increase R.'s income by setting up appointments, but it's fun to pretend like I do.