Is it Delusion or Reality? Seera Alrawi 9B

 Is it Delusion or Reality

By: Seera Alrawi 

class: 9B 

Are individuals being reasonable or delusional? If I break a mirror, am I cursed for eternity? I firmly disbelieve in superstitions, and I oppose individuals who rely on them as they do not align with my beliefs and education system. Superstitions are practices made up and believed by people based on fear of the unknown or bad luck.  

To begin with, superstitions do not align with my belief system. I believe that one cannot become cursed with bad luck only because they walked under a ladder or broke a mirror. Superstitions do not align with my religion to a certain extent, as I believe God is the only one who can protect us from bad luck, as well as the existence of black magic. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “superstitions are defined as a belief or a way of behaving based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck: a belief that certain events or things will bring good or bad luck.” The source above states the reasoning behind superstitions and how individuals believe certain events will determine their overall luck. This proves how the world has changed due to certain people’s desperation for attention as they create lies and myths that can control multiple individual’s way of living. According to “The Surprising Origins of 9 Common Superstitions” by Natalie Wolchover from LiveScience, “a ladder leaning against the wall is a superstition originating 5000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle, and Egyptians regarded this shape as sacred (as exhibited by their pyramids). To them, triangles represented the trinity of the Gods, and to pass them through a triangle was to desecrate them.” As the source above mentions, superstitions originated centuries ago as they slowly became a part of people’s belief system, in which they allow it to control the way they live and act because their “religion” says so. No wonder people believe in every myth and rumour made nowadays. 

Furthermore, superstitions also do not align with my education system. As an IB student, the IB system has taught students to be open-minded and knowledgeable to prepare them for the future and its upcoming and existing issues. According to “The Hollow” by Kelly Deschler, “the poet’s beliefs are embedded within the poem.” The source indicates that the poem and its context are limited as it only showcases one perspective rather than multiple, which makes it more difficult for an IB student and other students raised in different systems to fully acknowledge the topic and answer any questions regarding it to be trusted. According to Celebrating Life Customs Around the World from Baby Showers to Funerlan by Victoria Williams, “according to Turkish belief, blue acts as a shield against evil and even absorbs negativity.” The source showcases how a country’s belief system includes superstitions and further explains how and specifies superstition. This allows a student to explore different cultures and belief systems. However, this does not allow students to understand the concept and context given to them to avoid being close-minded with limited knowledge and perspective due to a lack of evidence and detailed information provided by different sources and certain professional advisors.  

All in all, I firmly believe in superstitions. I believe that close-minded people who lack knowledge make them up. Superstitions do not align with my beliefs and my education system. They might also threaten one’s faith and education. Therefore, it is important not to push one’s beliefs onto others and forcefully try to change their perspective. 

Work cited:

  • News, Neuroscience. ‘A Fine Time Line Between Delusion and Reality’. Neuroscience News, 12 Oct. 2017, https://neurosciencenews.com/delusion-reality-time-line-7733/.

Comments

  1. Farah Al AssafMarch 2, 2024 at 9:50 AM

    Your writing is well-organized. I enjoyed reading your blog, and I agree on several points you mentioned as well. I liked how you explained your disbelief of superstitions through religious and educational lenses. Your discussion was backed up with interesting examples, and you linked how these superstitions became part of an individual's beliefs. Your connection to the IB's mission and learning profiles made me even more hooked with your blog, as I am an IB student too. I agree that, as IB students, we use our critical thinking skills to distinuish between credible and false beliefs that are based on irrational conclusions. Lastly, I believe your last sentence is strong, and definetely essential to be applied in our societies.

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