“Thinking and Acting” plays a crucial role in the individual social learning process. It is the science of logic and how we follow this subject, in reality, is the primary concern of society.
Our great Indian culture is full of diversity and varied people following different psychology and philosophy. Have we ever asked a question from ourselves to what culture and belongings we belong to and what kind of life we actually mean to live? Maybe or maybe not! This is so because here we tend to follow others more than understanding ourselves. Simultaneously when this logical thinking clashed with the illogical and irrational thinking, it is termed as absurd and meaningless.
It is the ability of an individual to deal with society analytically and rationally this, doesn’t deal with science as a subject. The logic of being rational dealing with the principles and criteria of inference, and when we the human beings relate this with illegal and irrational themes, it leads to confusion, disorder and unconnected themes of life. Also, read What is Liberalism and why it is said to be the Power worshiper without Power?
Superstition: An Art or Science
We all know that we are living in a culture where do’s and don’ts are described and understood in varied ways. This meaningless attitude gives way to the belief in supernatural influences of good and bad luck which in itself the other word of superstition.
Have we ever noticed what if a BLACK CAT crossed our way, what can happen if we cross LEMON CHILIES without noticing it lying on the road? Have we ever thought of the answer to what can happen if we go out in an ECLIPSE? Or we don’t worship GOD, during the menstruation cycle?
And many other similar questions related to this?
NO! Actually, we don’t have any real logic behind this concept. What we are following is the norms set by our society, transferring to our own families in one way or the other. The answer to these questions lies here in the fact of absurdity that we all are chasing. What we do, we do watching others. If one person tells us to TOUCH WOOD just to secure our luck, we follow the same and pass on to the next and visa versa to many. Do we ever go deeper into the exact meanings of why these acts are prohibited by many? The answer is again a big NO! This is what superstitions never allow us to find the answer to these questions. We are receiving this may be from our forefathers too. It may be the fact they also did the same.
Scientific Temper In Terms of Beliefs
The extension of beliefs from one generation to another is culture. But when this extension of cultural beliefs clashes with the illogical ideas, the whole family structure gets collapsed; this is what Scientific Temper actually defines. This thinking which we all are following is logical or illogical that is entirely dependent on our society and the beliefs they set in. The curiosity to ask why needs to be developed.
Cutting of nails at night, not opening hair in the evening time, not washing clothes and hair on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. These are all beliefs followed without analyzing what actually they meant.
What does the puffing of chapati signify? Most of us can relate it to the hunger of the person going to eat it. But Scientific Temper answers it as the presence of air in the dough leads to the puffiness of the chapati. This symbolizing of belief is actually an answer to the question science asks for. If we can see the wider details of this, we can subdivide it into logic, analytics, scientific and rational thinking.
Superstition generally originated in ancient Egypt thousands of years ago. But that was the philosophy, and we implement it as the psychological mindset of unscientific, supernatural force, black magic, luck, evil, ills, etc.; this has created a hidden fear within all of us, and that fear is unknown. The extinguishing of Diyas in temples we can correlate at our home too, and this is clearly shown on visual media also, denoting something terrible is going to happen. Is it so? Does a simple extinguishing of Diya signify the life of a person living or dead? These unpredictable factors remain a mystery, and the psychology of people tend to give it a name of good luck or bad luck. The lemon chillies denote good luck until it’s on the roof of the house or shop. Once it is thrown from there, it brings bad luck for the one who will cross it. Thus these kinds of fictitious, blind following, irrational meanings allow us to widen our mental horizons?
Don’t miss the Hidden Secrets and Best Ways to Make Your Child Extraordinary?
Few More Examples of Rational Vs Irrational Theory
Let’s have a look at a few more interesting facts regarding this theory. Why is Touchwood a good sign and why not touching the other metal or plastic? Number 13 is inauspicious, but number 3 and 31 is fine? Blowing of Diyas is inauspicious but blowing of candles at our own birthday is the feeling of joy. Is this logic worth it? The observing of physical reality and analyzing the truth is far beyond expectations and reach, so to avoid inconvenience. We are following the same protocols starting from zero and ending with zero. Thus following reliable sources and seeking practical knowledge can give us better results. Cutting of nails, washing heads on odd days will not provide any reasonable and logical answer to our thinking process. Being rational and wise can only be possible if the logic and science behind the issue are understood and hypothesized. Otherwise, our condition will be the same as the two characters of SAMUEL BECKETT’S famous play WAITING FOR GODOT where Vladimir and Estragon are doing nothing but believing in the fact that one-day GOD will come for sure to meet them—thus bringing absurdity and unnecessary wait for them.
Like we are waiting for new and innovative fields to explore, but still, we lack faith in our self. Our orthodox mindsets do not allow us to do the experiments and innovations because our fear is more vigorous than our hardworking hands. We should always remember Hedy Lamarr’s famous saying: “All The Creative People Want To Do The Unexpected.”
