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Superstitions




I am not superstitious.  Like Groucho Marx, I know that if a black cat crosses my path it means that the cat is going somewhere and has nothing to do with me except that it happened to cross my path.  Usually it is better that the cat happened to cross my path than a human being, especially human beings with staunch religious affiliations.  I am more likely to be killed by a gau bhakt today than a cat.  

Marx becoming Marks! God!!
Superstition is born out of cowardice and irresponsibility.  You are afraid of, say, water.  But you have to cross the river and there’s no other choice.  You get into the boat with fear in your knees.  Your knees tremble.  Your knees wobble.  The boat takes on your trembling.  Trembling is contagious.  Like a disease.  It spreads.  And the boat succumbs.  It capsizes, let us say.  You are saved, let us hope.  And then you blame the cat.  Because you don’t want to accept that you peed in your trousers.  The cat that crossed your path while you were on your way to the river becomes a poor scapegoat. 

Superstition is all about creating scapegoats.

It can also be about creating frauds who will claim to heal you by invoking gods.  It can also be about politicians who will rid the country of cats.  The politicians may even create a holy cat if that can win them votes.  And your ego can go on a hot air balloon trip.  The cat that crossed your path has become something not to be feared but to be worshipped.  Cat becomes holy.  Cat becomes vote catcher.  Cat becomes theology.  Cat’s piss becomes Ayurvedic cure.

PS. Written for Indispire Edition 174: #Superstitionandyou


Comments

  1. Pranju chakrapaniJune 16, 2017 at 8:46 PM

    Cat’s piss becomes Ayurvedic cure.. that was funny. A good length of satire can be written on how it became a medicine.

    I have my own take on superstition. Perhaps would write about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJune 16, 2017 at 9:16 PM

      India has become such a joke that cat's pee can become holy tomorrow.

      I'd love to read your take on superstition.

      Delete
  2. MansiJune 16, 2017 at 10:38 PM

    we are loaded with the list sir. From broken mirror to hanging lemons and tress, you can make them do anything. Recently , I too had an experience and had shared my thoughts on same.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJune 18, 2017 at 9:09 AM

      Yeah, I know there's a whole series of them. Perhaps, like religion, superstition is an integral part of the human soul.

      Delete
  3. UnknownJune 17, 2017 at 12:43 AM

    "Superstition is all about creating scapegoats" Well said

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalJune 18, 2017 at 9:10 AM

      We need to shift the blame to someone or something :)

      Delete
  4. parwatisingariJune 17, 2017 at 4:20 PM

    :) cross my heart my views are similar.

    ReplyDelete

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