Superstitions might seem like quirky old habits, but they still have a surprisingly strong grip on how we handle uncertainty and fear in today’s very rational world. From Balkan evil eyes to knocking on wood, this article dives into the fun, the fear, and the psychology behind these beliefs—showing how they help us stay „better safe than sorry“ in a not-so-predictable world.
From Jovana Stojanovska
I have noticed that whenever superstition is introduced in the conversation there is always someone who will roll their eyes. Then again, rightfully so. Superstition is often your grandma chasing after you with a glass of water to wish you a good, prosperous start of the school year or one of the aunties being annoyed with you that once again you left your backpack on the floor and consequently, you will become poor. Superstition can sometimes even be fun, like eating grapes for good luck on New Year’s Eve or wishing on a shooting star. In this article I refer to superstition as belief-based systems or practices that rise thanks to the fear of the unknown or possible harm awaiting. Consequently, the use of superstition can sometimes be an attempt to gain control over one’s life. These practices, despite often being dismissed as irrational or outdated, still have found their way into modern life and can offer fascinating insights into culture and psychology.
As mentioned previously, the concept of superstition can be a super interesting variable to be added to the equation called ‘understating cultures and the consequences of cultures on the individual’ . The general meaning of the word culture posits that culture is all the common ideas, behaviors and customs of a particular group or society. The presence of superstition in this equation is omnipresent since it provides a window into how cultures make sense of the world, cope with uncertainty, and maintain social cohesion. While many scoff at these rituals, they also serve as a cultural inheritance, passed down through generations, connecting us to the past and to each other. Superstition can be a form of cultural expression, manifesting differently across regions and families, each with its own set of practices and beliefs. It’s not just about warding off bad luck or attracting good fortune – it is also about shared experiences and communal identity. For instance, many cultures have superstitions surrounding death, illness, and other aspects of human life that are difficult to control or predict. These beliefs often arise from a need to create a sense of order or agency in a world that can seem chaotic and uncertain.
By attributing meaning to certain practices—like throwing salt over one’s shoulder to ward off bad luck or touching iron to avoid misfortune—people gain a sense of control, however delusional it may be. Judging from my own experience, I would argue that Balkan superstitions tend to emphasize protection from misfortune, bad luck, illness, poverty, and even death much more than superstitions from other parts of the world. If one were to remember the region’s history and challenges faced over the centuries, one would understand that the Balkans have a long history of wars, political upheavals, poverty and folk traditions influenced by many religions like Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Islam and a lot of pagan beliefs. The conclusion drawn from this last sentence should not be that the rest of the world has not struggled equally enough, just maybe that the superstitions coming from the it are more focused on attracting luck and prosperity, ensuring harmony and positive energy rather than avoiding misfortune, illness, poverty and so on. A very good example of a superstition present in almost every Balkan country is the practice of avoiding the ‘evil eye’. It has many manifestations throughout the countries, but always the same purpose – protection from malicious influence someone can cast through envious or admiring looks, often unintentionally. One manifestation that I find particularly interesting is mimicking spitting after complimenting someone to ward off the evil eye. This is usually done when someone’s beauty, health, good fortune or intelligence have been praised since it is believed that these attributes tend to provoke envy, and therefore potential harm.
By attributing meaning to certain practices – like throwing salt over one’s shoulder to ward off bad luck or touching iron to avoid misfortune – people gain a sense of control, however delusional it may be.
But why is this important? Being able to understand the role of superstition means that one has understood human psychology – humans tend to develop mechanisms to help them handle uncertainty, fears, hopes and dreams. Therefore thinking about superstition as an evolutionary mechanism which is not always rational, but still provides adaptive responses to situations where the stakes are high and information is limited, is a compelling theory I would like to explore. Additionally, I shall be using the Error Management Theory (EMT) as the main reasoning behind my thoughts.
To start off, in this context I shall define the Error Management Theory as ‘better safe than sorry’ with a sprinkle of paranoia on top. Simply said, EMT posits that humans perceive that enduring a false alarm is much better than missing an actual threat, which in turn motivates them to overestimate threats – to have something like ‘cognitive paranoia’ that will help them minimize potential risks. How is this connected to superstitions? Well, believing in superstitions is similar to being risk averse and according to EMT, an easy way to avoid potential negative outcomes even if the probability of them ever happening is minimal. Super interesting, is it not?
Additionally, why is it that in such a modern and high-tech world, people are still clinging to superstitions? Is rationality suddenly not enough? It seems to me that in such a world, where scientific thinking and therefore evidence-based decision-making and proper deduction rule, sometimes the comfort offered by superstitions is enough to soothe – the gaps where knowledge ends, and ambiguity begins, are filled. Superstitions frequently offer very simple solutions which can often be a beam of light in a moody day in such a dynamic world. Nowadays, there are so many individuals battling with anxiety, stress and ones who are trying to keep up with the fast pace. Therefore, no wonder that superstitions are still around since emotionally-charged situations are so much easier to deal with when overthinking is not involved.
Interestingly enough, one can also argue that since superstitions constantly drive you to expect the worst, no wonder that everyone is so stressed and possibly in a mindset of perpetual anxiety. What role can the EMT play in this? Since I defined it as ‘better safe than sorry with a sprinkle of paranoia’ , it can be understood that this mechanism, which was great for our ancestors, might not be the best thing for us in this fast paced world. Instead, it might become one of the sources of chronic stress and anxiety since people may unintentionally train their minds to expect danger more frequently, reinforcing a cycle of fear and worry. Additionally, EMT can help in explaining why breaking away from these behaviors is not easy, even in a world where rational thinking is highly valued. The cognitive bias toward false positives—where we prefer a harmless precaution over the possibility of missing a real threat—makes superstitions psychologically appealing. In this sense, it can even be said that superstitions are not just traditions, shared experiences, communal identities – they can actively shape how individuals experience stress and cope with the pressures of modern life.
At end of the day, human beings are not just logical creatures – they also have emotional needs to satisfy. Being able to understand how EMT and superstitions are connected can offer an interesting view on how human psychology is inclined to deal with fears and uncertainties. It can allow us to understand that the tendency to be risk averse, sometimes even too much, is not merely an expression of irrationality and paranoia, but a deeply rooted survival mechanism which has been modernized and has adapted over time. Therefore, superstitions are not just relics of an ancient past but living practices that can portray how human beings navigate between reason and fear, the rational and the irrational while still carrying the ‘baggage’ of a communal identity and shared experiences.