There are different types of believers in this world. Those who are religious (or not) are usually the first to come to mind. Some believe devoutly in one political party over another, others are positive there are aliens hovering, just waiting for the right time to be taken to our leader (which may or may not have something to do with the example before). But none of these have anything to do with my ponderings, nor my question to you.
This morning, while I was preparing my son’s tube-feeding, I started thinking about the difference between people who believe in superstitions versus those who swear things that happen which are related to one another are mere coincidence. And then I thought about Murphy’s Law. You know, the one that goes something like, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” I then started to wonder if there’s any correlation between the pessimistic old Irishman and the half full/half empty glass.
Keeping in mind the fact that I was thinking all this at 5:30am, I’m sure you’ll bear with me through my semi-conclusions to this riot of contemplation. Right? Okay. Here we go.
If a person believes in Mr. Murphy’s doom and gloom prophesy, he (using male pronoun for no other reason than ease) is more likely to be superstitious. Why? Because it’s his only defense against a probable negative outcome. It follows then (or at least it did in the wee hours of this morning), that superstitious people are glass half-empty people. So, Murphy = superstition = pessimist.
Alternatively, if a person does not believe the infamous Mr. Murphy had a leg to stand on, then she (see above pronoun explanation) is more likely to believe that relatable happenings are coincidence. Why? Because why not. This happens, that happens, chances are if we do it right in the first place then it’ll be okay. You see where I’m going next… she is the glass half-full person. The coincidence believer. No Murphy = coincidence = optimist.
All cut and dry, right? It is until I take into account that I believe in some superstitions and most of the time our dear old Murphy AND I’m an optimistic glass half-full type. What to do with this confusing information… Hmm… Oh I know! Ask my wonderful friends in WordPress land! Where do you fit in to all of this gobbledigook?
To make it easier, I’ve created a poll.
Please answer it as best you can.
Further to the poll, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Am I way out to lunch? (Or breakfast, as the case may be.) Should I keep my 5:30am thoughts to myself? Let me know. And don’t forget to vote! This is science, people!
October 17, 2015 at 5:21 am
In a world where there are an infinite possibilities on what could happen on any given day, it is difficult to pick a side. I guess I’ll have to go with Shit Happens! hahaha
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October 17, 2015 at 11:12 am
“Shit happens” is a safety net for many people. 🙂 Most, according to my poll. 😛
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October 18, 2015 at 4:23 am
Apparently
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October 17, 2015 at 2:23 am
I believe that it’s bad luck to be superstitious.
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October 17, 2015 at 11:10 am
Ha!
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October 16, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Ripples… In my glass of water.. apparently. 🙂
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October 17, 2015 at 11:09 am
You can share my wine, dearest. 🙂
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October 22, 2015 at 6:20 am
Nothing like sharing a glass ey 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 7:24 pm
I don’t really consider myself superstitious. If I was, I wouldn’t be the proud owner of a sweet black kitty 🙂 I do think some things just tend to happen, though. And that there is a lot of coincidence in the world (I keep having to tell my mom often, when she asks me about some stuff that happens to her, that it’s just coincidence and doesn’t mean anything). But as I’m Christian, I also tend to believe that He has a hand in some things happening (like leading me and boyfriend to each other).
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October 17, 2015 at 11:09 am
There’s another point – those who are pessimists believe the coincidences that happen are a sign of bad things but optimists are more likely to believe that more good things are on the way. It’s all a matter of perspective I guess. 🙂
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October 17, 2015 at 3:29 pm
Most things tend to be a matter of perspective, I think. 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 4:44 pm
I believe coincidence is “Godincidence” and my glass is always filled by Him.:)
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October 17, 2015 at 11:06 am
Hey, a new word! 😀
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October 16, 2015 at 3:37 pm
perhaps I am superstitious to an extent, I am a believer in Karma … and of certain physics parameters … when it comes to Karma I believe you get back what you give 10 fold , as for the physics… for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction … kind of the same thing as Karma really… only in fancy nerd form lol
I am also a spiritual person, I wouldn’t say religious , I have my own beliefs thoughts and opinions on the ever after… at worse.. I could be wrong then it’s an Oopsie and coming back for a do over… at best.. I get to be a ghost and hide in the walls and jump out and scare the bejeezus out of unsuspecting people ! I could do that for eternity and never get tired of it lol
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October 17, 2015 at 11:05 am
Haha! It’s Hallowe’en time – you can get a head start just in case. 😉
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October 16, 2015 at 3:32 pm
In an infinite universe, the probability of virtually anything happening increases to 1. Coincidences are therefore unavoidable, no matter how spooky or “by design” they might seem.
So, I’m not superstitious, though I absolutely understand and appreciate the value of it (I always wear my Falcons jersey when the team plays, more because it makes me feel good than that I think it’s going to help the team in any way).
And I’m an optimist, or at least I try very hard to be. There’s enough bad stuff happening in the world without adding to it in my mind.
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October 17, 2015 at 11:02 am
One might even say that the negative thinkers help make negative things happen. Sharknado, for instance. 😉
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October 16, 2015 at 3:27 pm
I do live by half-full glass. Coincidences happens but as I see it, for a reason, so maybe not coincidence anyway 😉
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October 17, 2015 at 10:59 am
It’s really hard to tell! 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 2:55 pm
I prefer wine please, my glass is half full so no rush!
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October 17, 2015 at 10:58 am
Doh! I knew I should have written wine instead of water!
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October 17, 2015 at 11:11 am
I still like you. See what I did there?
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October 17, 2015 at 11:16 am
Ha!
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October 16, 2015 at 2:43 pm
I am pretty superstitious and a glass half-empty kind of a girl, but also one who is trying to be more positive! 🙂
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October 17, 2015 at 10:57 am
If you’re trying, doesn’t that automatically make you a glass half-full person? 😀
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October 17, 2015 at 11:00 am
Yes, I suppose it does! 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 2:42 pm
Most of my life I’ve been a realistic optimist with a dash of superstition to keep it interesting.
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October 17, 2015 at 10:55 am
It is fun to see if superstitions live up to their promise, isn’t it? 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 2:40 pm
I do not believe in coincidence, and I always have a drink in hand 🙂
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October 17, 2015 at 10:54 am
Good plan. 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 2:35 pm
I only get superstitious when things are not going well. I still maintain the half full attitude and can usually explain circumstances away with the phrase, “and so it goes,” from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.
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October 17, 2015 at 10:54 am
That’s been on my to-be-read list forever. Superstitions do tend to be a last resort, don’t they? 😛
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October 16, 2015 at 2:18 pm
I believe the glass is refillable and coincidences happen all the time, people just make up superstitions to explain them because folks just hate unexplained stuff.
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October 16, 2015 at 2:29 pm
The glass is refillable… sounds pretty optimistic to me! And I agree, superstitions tend often to be explanations, but then so does religion. Not that I want to get into a discussion on religion. Just sayin’. 😛
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October 16, 2015 at 2:18 pm
I’m not superstitious (knock on wood 😉) not do I believing in overriding coincidences; sure, sometimes a couple things will happen in close proximity that are coincidentally, but not as a matter of course. As you said, feces occurs. I also do not consider myself an optimist or a pessimist, I consider myself a realist. We are not omniscient, so we don’t understand how things interrelate. I’ve stepped on many cracks, and my mother was fine.
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October 16, 2015 at 2:25 pm
It’s true that we don’t understand how things interrelate, but many people have biases one way or another. Realism, it turns out, is the crack in my entire theory. 😛 It’s probably a good thing I don’t have to get up at 5:30 for the next couple of days. 😉
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October 16, 2015 at 2:36 pm
I am the wedge in the theory of life.
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October 16, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Hahaha!
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October 16, 2015 at 1:46 pm
This was so hard for me to figure out.. I used to believe in coincidences, that they made a chain reaction a Sychronicty thing going on. Then I read about there NOT being coincidences that everything happens for a reason.. which takes me right back to things happening in a certain order to make it happen for a reason. Since I believe in reincarnation and past lives I have to believe we meet certain people to learn our life lessons. So is a synchronism(Is that what I want to say?) happening the same as a coincidence?
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October 16, 2015 at 1:48 pm
Sometimes I’m a half empty girl when I’m in a down mood I guess. I’m told I’m not a happy go lucky person very often.
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October 16, 2015 at 1:49 pm
I am a realist and that can sound like a negative thing.
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October 16, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Ah yes, I’m a realist too and often am thought of as a pessimist because of it. But let’s face it, we can’t be “up” all the time, right?
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October 16, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Synchronicity is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? I suppose it does fall more into the category of coincidence than anything mentioned here. Can a coincidence be preordained? Hmmm… You’ve given me more to think about. Thanks, Lorraine. 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 1:43 pm
I don’t know if I fit into any of those categories, simply because I don’t think that anything is ever really a coincidence. Instead, I feel that everything happens for a reason. One thing always leads us to the next. When I look back on my life, I can see how nearly every piece worked together to place me exactly where I am right now. For that reason, although my glass is half-empty sometimes, I try my best to keep it half-full, by fully expecting everything (good and bad) to work out in the long run.
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October 16, 2015 at 1:59 pm
There’s a lot to be said for the belief that everything happens for a reason. I do too… in the end, that’s where we end up, right? But in the moment I’ll still touch wood in hopes of the outcome I’m wishing for in the short term. 🙂
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October 16, 2015 at 1:39 pm
I enjoyed this post and I am usually half full kinda gal but depending what is going into my life. For instance of that bastard Murphy lurks around too long, it is easy to be swayed into the glass half empty and duck for the next doom and gloom. I like what one of my grade 8 students told me years ago “Life’s a bitch and then you die”. Although I may have worded this differently…now this would be a great SoCS too. Okay, I`ll just continue this blurb on my blog now, thanks, Linda. And happy elections (groan)
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October 16, 2015 at 1:52 pm
Oh yes, the elections. Devils in both hands, which one to choose?
I suppose most of us are all over the place at different times in our lives. I was hoping for a general “this is the way I am most of the time” sort of answer. And, coincidentally, I did think about making this a SoCS prompt, but I figured it would be too complicated to explain. I still might do something with it though if I can chisel the whole question down to one word. 🙂 Great minds, my dear. 😉
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October 16, 2015 at 10:55 pm
🙂
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