A dictionary defines "superstition" as either an irrational fear of the unknown and/or a belief in the supernatural. The critical word, my dear readers, is "irrational". Superstitions are formed because of an unconscious association established between an event (good or bad) and a seemingly unrelated cause. Superstitious persons generally seek external reasons to explain many happenings in their lives. They usually tend to find a scapegoat for their failures. Getting a little worried about something which is unknown is perfectly natural but to be afraid of it and letting that decide our actions, is just not right.

There are two kinds of people in this world; those who would not believe in a thing unless they find some evidence, howsoever flimsy and then those who would believe in something because it was told to them by someone whom they consider trustworthy. It is this latter group that most superstitious people come from. Do you know which group you belong to? Let us take this small test. Remember to be honest, though!

You are going on a journey. Someone tells you to cancel it because something bad is going to happen. Will you cancel the journey?

1. Will you refuse to start a new project on "amavasya" day?

2. You have an important business meeting where you are likely to sign a big contract. Will you wear a particular set of "lucky clothes"?

3. Will you insist on a particular registration number for your new car because that number augurs well for your future?

4. Do you do "pooja" of your vehicle in order to ensure that it does not get you into accidents?

5. Do you retrace your steps if a cat crosses your path?

While garlanding the idol or a photo of the family deity, if the garland accidentally falls off, do you consider this as a bad omen?

1. Do you hang a lemon tied to a few chillies, to ward off evil?

2. Are you uncomfortable for the whole day if the first face you see in the morning is that of a person whom you think is "inauspicious"?

3. Do you think a new daughter-in-law or a new son-in-law brings good or bad fortune to families?

Now rate yourself on the following scale. Give yourself one mark for each "yes" and zero for every "no". Those scoring 8 to 10 are extremists - they are very superstitious. Those scoring 5 to 7 need to watch out - they are on the fringes of extremism and tend to suspend logic in favour of irrational fear. Those with a score of 3 or 4 should make a resolution this year to bring their score down into the last category. Those with 0 to 2 marks have won against themselves and need to maintain this trait, irrespective of the hardships that they encounter in life.

Yes, hardships tend to make you more superstitious.
It is natural that in bad times, a person looks for psychological props, which perk him or her up and inject some badly needed confidence. It is generally forgotten that there are other effective ways to counter these difficulties. Some of them are:

1. Practicing meditation: This has now been proved to be very effective - as a regular habit.

2. Asking for help from someone who has got over a similar predicament.

3. Being patient.

4. Keeping your ambitions in check.

5. Doing a lot of self - analysis about why things are not improving.

Don't you think that becoming more superstitious in bad times is like "taking cocaine to feel better"?

Let your superstitions be intensely private.
Human beings cannot be completely fearless and who doesn't fear death? The most rational amongst us is bound to have some fear lurking somewhere. If we must therefore have a superstition, it must be kept as personal as possible, hidden from general view. The damage that it can do if publicly exhibited far outweighs the solace that it may give to the person who carries it. Since the effect of the bad example exponentially increases, famous persons and celebrities must make absolutely sure that they hide their superstitions.

If you just cannot live without them, then at least ensure that they are harmless.
It is true that what cannot be cured has to be endured; just ensure that they cause no inconvenience to others. I would go one step further and ask all these persons to at least keep a log of whether they were successful in achieving what they had set out to achieve and for which they had followed the superstitious practice, in the first place. If they can produce favourable statistics with the help of this log, who knows, one day the government may make it compulsory for all, to follow certain practices to improve the rate of success.

"Mr. Prakash Shesh, the author, has done his MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad after his Masters in Physics from I.I.T. New Delhi. You may send your feedback to him by choosing an option at the top right corner of this page." In this article he questions some beliefs that we hold, without any scrutiny. The purpose here is to have a robust debate without in anyway belittling personal beliefs. He can be reached at creative_ngp@sancharnet.in"