There are many, and I am one of them, who think superstitions are somewhat bizarre and demonstrate a natural propensity amongst us to demonise, and secure our safety and lives by reference to nature’s magic. However when researching my book on lying I realized that there are some positive aspects to lying in as far as they underpin our need to get more and more intelligent so we can out-think those lying to us. In a similar way I now look for some positive attributes to those parts of our nature and history that we usually think of a wholly negative.
Whilst I can see superstitions are highly negative it is possible to see the panacea they give to the fearful, enabling people to do things that need to be done and helping them focus in the belief that some magical symbolism has secured their safety. For example crossing a deep river owned by a particular river spirit. Or even seeing two magpies instead of one and therefore feeling better about one’s journey.
One can never underestimate how feeling good about something helps one perform. How attitude can transform failure into success. It does not detract from the emptiness of superstitions which by definition are devoid of any real correlation with nature, but they do have an effect on our natures.
Sometimes lying to ourselves helps.