Infrastition
I've discussed the oddness of those Standard Superstitions before. Media and commentators always run features about the ladders and 13s and black cats, even though nobody seriously holds those fake beliefs today.

Everyone has genuine private superstitions about times and places. Good-luck things you do, bad-luck things you avoid. Private superstitions are based on actual experience, thus basically rational. Correlation isn't simple causation, but correlation does indicate a connection somewhere along the chain.

I saw an interesting woman in Sears once, so I shopped in Sears more often than strictly necessary. I got hit by a car immediately after including myself in this blog as a character, so I quickly removed my representation.

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Another variety of fake belief doesn't have the same medieval flavor but it's equally inappropriate for real modern people. These are specific things you're required to say and think about days and seasons. Nobody outside the idiot elite circles actually thinks this way. These credal statements aren't exactly superstitions, so I'll call them infrastitions.

Infrastition: "It's snowing in November. Winter doesn't begin until December 21. This is weird."

Reality: Everyone knows that winter begins in November. Not weird at all.

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Infrastition: "Christmas is over. You must take down your lights or be seen as a Redneck Idiot."

Reality: Everyone likes bright colors, especially in the grayness of winter. Our souls need bright colors. We owe thanks, not contempt, to the generous folks who leave their lights on.

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Infrastition: "GLOBAL WARMING!!!!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!"

Reality: Everyone knows that weather has cycles. Seven lean years, seven fat years. The weather is always breaking a record SOMEWHERE.

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Infrastition: "TGIF! It's Wednesday, Hump Day! It's Thursday, and that means it's almost Friday!!!"

Reality: Like DST, these day-flavors might have been meaningful 40 years ago when most people worked 8-5 M-F. Now most people are retail store clerks with variable shifts in 24-hour stores. Weekends don't mean much. Possibly these sayings still resonate among schoolkids or bureaucrats, but I don't think those groups are big parts of the media audience.

Labels: Heimatkunde

  ¶ 8:48 AM