Fingers crossed Superstitions are perfectly natural, and entirely understandable

The Times September 05, 2006

Avoided walking under any ladders lately? Tied a knot in a handkerchief? Of course you haven’t. Such beliefs are just pure superstition, touch wood.

According to Bruce Hood, Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol, this kind of irrational behaviour is natural. Speaking at the British Association Festival of Science yesterday, he claimed that superstition is a product of evolution. Mankind is adapted to reason intuitively, to invent explanations for how the world works, which increases the odds of keeping safe. Superstitions also provide a welcome sense of control. We cross our fingers to trap the bad luck between them. We say “bless you” to stop the soul following the sneeze out of the body.

Modern members of Homo sapiens, texting on their BlackBerries while skirting round black cats, have also evolved to know that some beliefs are really just indulgent nonsense. So they cheat. See only one magpie? Look again. Horoscope bleak? Suddenly remember your birthday is close to the cusp. Is that hypocrisy, or a clever way to reconcile rationality with irrationality?

One thing is clear: the foundations of science were built on mankind’s ability to reason intuitively. Anyone who insisted on direct visible proof would have been unable, for example, to discover gravity. So we should perhaps think more kindly of human credulity. Paul Ince’s legendary insistence on being the last to leave the changing room and pull on his jersey probably had little bearing on the outcome of any particular England football games. But no doubt the habit made him feel better. So do not mock: after all the wind might change.