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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

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    Default Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Just for fun, i’m quite interested in knowing of the different superstitions or variations that exist in the world.

    To get things rolling, here’s one that I heard from a teacher of all people:

    If you hear someone calling you, don’t reply unless you can actually see them, even if you recognise the voice. Especially in the woods, or construction sites(?). This might be a variation of a generally Asian concept but I have no way of knowing.
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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    When I spill salt, I really want to toss three pinches over my shoulder. It's very hard to restrain myself.
    "None of us likes to be hated, none of us likes to be shunned. A natural result of these conditions is, that we consciously or unconsciously pay more attention to tuning our opinions to our neighbor’s pitch and preserving his approval than we do to examining the opinions searchingly and seeing to it that they are right and sound." - Mark Twain

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I'll cater to the various ridiculous craps superstitions when dealing it for work, for all that I find them deeply stupid. That's about it.
    I would really like to see a game made by Obryn, Kurald Galain, and Knaight from these forums.

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    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Erythrina's Avatar

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I was born on a day that is considered 'unlucky', so I flip all the "bad" superstitions (I'm happy when a black cat crosses my way etc.) This way I only have the "lucky" ones
    I guess that's childish and it's not like I pay much attention to them. Still, these are some small things that make me happy, so why would I turn them down?

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    JNAProductions's Avatar

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I sacrifice a goat before I roll stats. :P

    Um... I tend to try to "equalize" stuff. So if I tap my right hand three times, I'll try to do my left three times as well. Only sometimes, when I notice, do I bother, and I've grown out of it as the years have gone on, but it's a thing.
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    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I try to never go into a dark room with a mirror, it skeeves me out.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

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    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I like to engage in a little bit of gamer superstition with how I put my dice on the table during RPG nights. Exactly how I do it tends to vary a bit from session to session, depending on whether my sense of "mysticism" or order has the control, and it's often messed up by my tency to pick up the dice to fiddle with them (and then drop them on the floor), but I often place them so that all values are a high average or a low high "in order to encourage good rolls while not exhausting the best ones".

    If my sense of order gets the control, I'll instead place them all so that they all show the same value, usually 1 or 4.
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    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I do the whole "knock on wood" thing, even if there is no wood available (I will still "knock" something, just whatever I feel is a suitable wood-substitute).

    It's weird, I know, but oddly comforting.

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    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Erythrina's Avatar

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by JNAProductions View Post
    Um... I tend to try to "equalize" stuff. So if I tap my right hand three times, I'll try to do my left three times as well. Only sometimes, when I notice, do I bother, and I've grown out of it as the years have gone on, but it's a thing.
    Hey! I also do it sometimes. I never thought of that as a superstition, though, just as an odd habit of mine. Like many people, including myself, didn't step on the asphalt cracks in their childhood.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    None that I take really seriously, though in the world of tabletop gaming I do have this idea that to complain loudly about middle-of-the road rolls is a sure way to anger the dice gods and set yourself up for punishment. It's fine to whine about rolling 1 or 2 on a d20, but whining about a 7 or an 8? That's just a recipe for disaster, and it always bothers me ever so slightly when others do it.

    A few years ago at an outdoor music festival, it was also established that I am blessed by the rain gods. There was a ton of rain, but despite having terrible shoes, my feet never once got wet, despite buying the cheapest, low-quality tent no water ever got into it, and when I sat a good distance away from our improvised tarp roof - because we couldn't all fit below it - the wind somehow arranged itself in just such a way that no rain fell on me despite being under open sky. It still works sometimes - just two weeks ago I invited a few colleagues for a midday walk, but they refused because it was raining. The second I stepped out on my solo walk, the clouds parted, the rain stopped and the sun came out.
    Last edited by Corlindale; 2019-07-08 at 10:59 AM.

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    Flumph

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by Erythrina View Post
    Hey! I also do it sometimes. I never thought of that as a superstition, though, just as an odd habit of mine. Like many people, including myself, didn't step on the asphalt cracks in their childhood.
    Maybe the old rhyme of not stepping on cracks is the equivalent of "Put on a sweater, you are making me cold."

    As far as personal superstitions, I probably have a bunch of unconscious ones just from reading enough old stories that spotting the patterns from the stories in real life will raise my hackles.

    If I ever go hiking in the hills of the British Isles, I may bring along a loaf of bread, honey, and an iron shod walking stick.

    Just to be absolutely sure.
    Last edited by Mith; 2019-07-08 at 11:04 AM.

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    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I don't know about superstitious, but long ago I estimated the number of claps that would be proper to 13-claps. I feel awkward not clapping to at least 13.

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by Mith View Post
    Maybe the old rhyme of not stepping on cracks is the equivalent of "Put on a sweater, you are making me cold."
    Huh. We don't have any equivalent for this rhyme in my country (and it's actually the first time I hear about it). So it's certainly not only about a phrase.
    And I took this one just as example, as there are many childrens' ritual like that. Walking on the curbs, climbing over the playground fence instead of just walking in. I think everyone know these ones.

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by Corlindale View Post
    None that I take really seriously, though in the world of tabletop gaming I do have this idea that to complain loudly about middle-of-the road rolls is a sure way to anger the dice gods and set yourself up for punishment. It's fine to whine about rolling 1 or 2 on a d20, but whining about a 7 or an 8? That's just a recipe for disaster, and it always bothers me ever so slightly when others do it.
    I hate it when someone borrows my d20 and then rolls a 20 on it. That's my luck, you ba*d!
    "None of us likes to be hated, none of us likes to be shunned. A natural result of these conditions is, that we consciously or unconsciously pay more attention to tuning our opinions to our neighbor’s pitch and preserving his approval than we do to examining the opinions searchingly and seeing to it that they are right and sound." - Mark Twain

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    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Flumph

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by Erythrina View Post
    Huh. We don't have any equivalent for this rhyme in my country (and it's actually the first time I hear about it). So it's certainly not only about a phrase.
    And I took this one just as example, as there are many childrens' ritual like that. Walking on the curbs, climbing over the playground fence instead of just walking in. I think everyone know these ones.
    *Whistles innocently while not making eye contact*.

    The rhyme in question (in case you didn't Google fu it) is "Don't step on the cracks or else you'll break your mother's back."

    As someone who was always yelled at to put on socks because it made people feel cold, that's why my brain made that connection.

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    LaZodiac's Avatar

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by Erythrina View Post
    I was born on a day that is considered 'unlucky', so I flip all the "bad" superstitions (I'm happy when a black cat crosses my way etc.) This way I only have the "lucky" ones
    I guess that's childish and it's not like I pay much attention to them. Still, these are some small things that make me happy, so why would I turn them down?
    I love the implicit end result of this being if you ever feel like you're on a losing streak you can just shatter a mirror over your knee.

    Quote Originally Posted by JNAProductions View Post
    I sacrifice a goat before I roll stats. :P

    Um... I tend to try to "equalize" stuff. So if I tap my right hand three times, I'll try to do my left three times as well. Only sometimes, when I notice, do I bother, and I've grown out of it as the years have gone on, but it's a thing.
    Used to do something like this, not for any superstitious reason just a mental compulsion sort of thing. If I touch something, I touch it again right after so that it's an even number of touches. I don't do this anymore though.

    Speaking of "step on a crack, break your mothers back" they also have that one for the lines that divide the like, stone slabs of side walks. Step on a line, break your mothers spine.

    I do tend to try to avoid stepping on cracks and lines on the sidewalk, but I've sort of internally realized just now writing this it's because I'll trip like a dumbass. Honestly a lot of superstitions are like that. Not to be an anti-fun haver (I love superstitions) but a ton of them have reasonable like, explanations. Walking under ladders is just a generally unsafe thing to do, shattered mirrors leave glass shards in the rug for decades, cracks and lines can trip you and break YOUR back and spine, black cats is probably racist, etc etc. It's interesting how these sorts of things come about. We should bring back teaching people to be safe by telling ominous stories.
    Last edited by LaZodiac; 2019-07-08 at 03:52 PM.

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Ettin in the Playground
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    Quote Originally Posted by Knaight View Post
    I'll cater to the various ridiculous craps superstitions when dealing it for work, for all that I find them deeply stupid. That's about it.
    I've got to deal with that a lot - poker players violently insisting that I refrain from cleaning their lucky urinal, slot players who hiss if I bring a broom near them, things like that. My favorite is when (to placate a customer) I placed a solemn call to Maintenance to inform them that one of the parking elevators was cursed.

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    OrcBarbarianGirl

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Walking stuck to the wall of the buildings at night, must be a superstition because often everybody around me seems to do it when they are alone, despite being definitelly a very bad idea.

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I throw salt over my shoulder, and I'll only pick up coins I find if they're heads-up. I often touch wood where I've said something possibly overconfident.

    I think that's it, but I may have forgotten some.

    There are other things I would class as "custom" rather than "superstition" per se, but could easily fall into the same bracket, generally around observance of holidays: most notably, the Christmas decorations come down on Twelfth Night. I haven't yet left them up beyond it, but if for some reason I did, I'd have to think seriously about leaving them up until Candlemas.
    Last edited by Aedilred; 2019-07-08 at 05:28 PM.
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    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by LaZodiac View Post
    Honestly a lot of superstitions are like that. Not to be an anti-fun haver (I love superstitions) but a ton of them have reasonable like, explanations. Walking under ladders is just a generally unsafe thing to do, shattered mirrors leave glass shards in the rug for decades, cracks and lines can trip you and break YOUR back and spine, black cats is probably racist, etc etc. It's interesting how these sorts of things come about. We should bring back teaching people to be safe by telling ominous stories.
    Yeah, a whole bunch of superstition is definitely just good safety precautions wrapped up in mysticism to be easier to swallow, like ladders, or not leaving your keys on the table. I think the primary reason for the smashing mirror superstition might be because in the past, mirrors were really expensive, so it payed to have people be cautions around them.

    The cracks one I would guess originates from the mind of a child, or children in general. Combine the pattern-seeking human brain with children's tendency to try and make a game out of everything, and this stuff happens naturally. They're pretty much like cats and boxes in that regard. There was a whole bunch of children's superstition around when I grew up which was propagated among us children without adult influence. Like you weren't allowed to step on certain manhole covers, or if two people said the same word at the same time, one could call it out and then the other wouldn't be allowed to speak until the first one released them.

    I don't think the black cat superstition is racist, because not only is it very old, it's also not very consistent in what a black cat is supposed to signify (in some places or contexts it was actually seen as lucky). I think it's rather that pitch black is a quite impressive coloration (the same goes for snow white, which also tends to be linked to magic), and when it's dark, a pitch black cat will look like a shadow with two gleaming eyes.

    Quote Originally Posted by Gnoman View Post
    I've got to deal with that a lot - poker players violently insisting that I refrain from cleaning their lucky urinal, slot players who hiss if I bring a broom near them, things like that. My favorite is when (to placate a customer) I placed a solemn call to Maintenance to inform them that one of the parking elevators was cursed.
    Hehehe, that's glorious, in what I imagine must be a really annoying way.
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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    I don't know if this counts, I still can't sleep with the closet door open, nor the bathroom door open. Sometimes, I still run to the bed and jump into it before the lights go out..

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Be polite to the crows. Knock on wood. Honestly surprised nobody mentioned that second one yet.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eldest View Post
    Be polite to the crows. Knock on wood. Honestly surprised nobody mentioned that second one yet.
    Being nice to crows all the time is murder on my anxiety.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
    Vibranium: If it was on the periodic table, its chemical symbol would be "Bs".

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    Flumph

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    Quote Originally Posted by Eldest View Post
    Be polite to the crows. Knock on wood. Honestly surprised nobody mentioned that second one yet.
    I think being nice to creatures smart enough to get even is a healthy life decision, generally.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tvtyrant View Post
    Being nice to crows all the time is murder on my anxiety.
    Ayyyyyyyyyy!

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    ElfPirate

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    Quote Originally Posted by JNAProductions View Post

    Um... I tend to try to "equalize" stuff. So if I tap my right hand three times, I'll try to do my left three times as well. Only sometimes, when I notice, do I bother, and I've grown out of it as the years have gone on, but it's a thing.
    Oh my goodness, I've been like that for years, and I totally thought I was the only one. This has turned out to be an enlightening day for me! :)

    Quote Originally Posted by Erythrina View Post
    Hey! I also do it sometimes. I never thought of that as a superstition, though, just as an odd habit of mine. Like many people, including myself, didn't step on the asphalt cracks in their childhood.
    I had sort of a combination where both of my feet had to touch seams or cracks an equal number of times, or sometimes each space between the lines an equal number of times.
    Last edited by Bob_McSurly; 2019-07-08 at 11:54 PM.
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    OrcBarbarianGirl

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Don't talking about or even mention deceased ones for at least two weeks.

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by Eldest View Post
    Be polite to the crows. Knock on wood. Honestly surprised nobody mentioned that second one yet.
    It has already been mentioned.
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    Barbarian in the Playground
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    For some reason I don't like 13. I know there's nothing sinister about that number but if I get the chance I like to have 14 or more rather than 13.

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    DwarfFighterGuy

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    These are not at all serious, but a couple I abide by just in case. When I say not at all serious, I mean I logically know they aren't real, but I feel "safer" if I follow them.

    *Don't let others touch your dice without your permission. If they do, they'll suck the luck right out of them.
    *Likewise, if I roll poorly I make sure to apologize to my dice because they are surely mad with me.
    *If I'm having a bad day, I jokingly refrain from invoking Murphy (as in, Murphy of Murphy's Law).
    *I view a light rain as lucky, or as a blessing from my homeland (Oregon). Nothing can go wrong if it's raining slightly. Likewise, Oregon is showing that it approves of whatever decision I make while it rains. Examples: buying a house, going on a trip, starting a new job, etc.
    *I don't yell insults at thunderstorms. Just not a good idea.

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    Default Re: Superstitions That You Actually Abide By IRL

    Quote Originally Posted by NRSASD View Post
    *I don't yell insults at thunderstorms. Just not a good idea.
    Yes, because you'll look like a crazy man shouting at the sky. :P
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