How many of you read horoscopes, cling to good luck charms or believe in superstitions?
Sometimes, we can't help it. It's embedded into our culture, promoted by society. Fate, fortunes, luck and talismans.
Being born Chinese, there are many superstitions that I sometimes unconsciously follow.
When I gamble, I shift seats when my luck is down, grab something red or festive (I usually only gamble during the Chinese New Year) or if luck is really not in my side, try again in a couple of hours.
(Chinese believe that you're luckier at certain times depending on the time and date you were born)
Facebook constantly plagues me with updates of my friends horoscopes or their lucky number or color if the day.
Now, I'd be lying if I said I totally didn't believe in all this. A part of me always believe.
But, hey, you guys realise its all a bunch of crap right? 99.9% of all these fortune readings are made up with a formula of vagueness.
I know, I know, what's the harm I'm reading them, right?
Well, no harm but it actually affects your decision making which may sometimes lead to negative effects.
For example, imagine you're on a gameshow and for the grand finale, you have to choose either Door 1, Door 2, or Door 3!!
You're the oldest among your siblings but 2 is your favourite number, which do you choose?!
But wait! This morning the newspaper said that good fortune comes in threes!
So you choose Door 3 and go home with a blender and some new towels.
(In case you didn't figure, that wasn't the grand prize)
Science has revealed that much of our decision making isn't made by our brains or much of our hearts for that matter. We're easily swayed with subconscious messages, advertising, our peers as well as many other factors.
Many companies make use of this research to encourage us to buy their products.
So when you read horoscopes and fortunes, you are subconsciously feeding yourself more "false" information that your decisions are based on.
What colors you wear, what food you choose, which road you take, what mood you're in, our subconscious weighs in more than we know.
So while it may be harmless for me to not show off my awesome new ironman sweater and wear it on Friday instead, when it comes to choosing which companies I apply for or if I should go overseas to further my studies, that isn't something I want to leave up to fortunes and subconscious messaging.
Sometimes we meet fortune tellers who seem so remarkably real but think of it this way: are you really content with the fortune she/he has revealed to you? No matter how nice and great that fortune may be, they usually just tell you what you want to hear with some face reading.
Face reading, now THAT is real. Think of what Sherlock does, just not as cool. There are professionals who read people for a living.
It may be comforting to have fortunes to console ourselves and make the tough decisions for us but it's our life. We have to make our own decisions.
So bear this in mind, sure, you can keep reading fortunes and horoscopes but don't put too much stock into it. You make your own fortune. Just because fortunes say you will succeed or fail doesn't mean you will. Find and give yourself the strength you need to seize the day.
Carpe diem! YOLO!
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