20100726

迷信測試

三藩市有個叫Exploratorium的科學博物館,我帶兒子去過幾次,印象最深的不是那些解釋各種科學原理的擺設和裝置,而是一把高高的人字梯。西人迷信的認為在梯子下走過會帶來惡運,Exploratorium裏的這把梯子放在當眼處,旁邊有塊指示牌,寫著"We challenge you to walk under the ladder"(大意如此)。有一次我在梯子不遠處站了很久,就是要看看有多少人會在梯子下走過,結果看到的是故意避開的人遠遠超過泰然走過的人。最有趣的,是看到有些人決定接受「挑戰」,但穿過梯子時,卻一副戰戰兢兢的模樣。

我在哲學導論一課裏講到迷信時,會有個活動環節,就是讓學生測試他們的迷信程度。那當然不是個嚴謹的科學測試,不過也不完全是鬧著玩的。13不祥,是西人中人人皆知的迷信(而且也給我們東方人兼收並蓄了);我著學生每人拿出一張大約A4大的紙,在上面寫上大大的一個"13"。他們寫好了之後,我會要他們定睛看著那大大的"13"好一會,然後把紙摺疊成可放進口袋的大小。我跟著便請他們把摺好的紙放進口袋裏,並說到晚上才可再拿出來;我講清楚他們不一定要那樣做,而我那麼一說,便真的有學生沒有把紙放進口袋裏。

活動完了,我便解釋,活動的目的是讓他們測試自己的迷信程度:
- 拒絕把紙放進口袋裏的,應該是非常迷信。
- 勉強把紙放進口袋裏,卻感到忐忑不安的,應該也是相當迷信。
- 把紙放進口袋裏,不算勉強,卻仍有一點點的不自在的,則至少有點迷信傾向。
- 完全不介意把紙放進口袋裏,也沒感到任何不安的,應該是不迷信(或只是不迷信13不祥?)。

你不妨做這個測試,可能會發覺自己沒有想像中那麼不迷信。

38 則留言:

  1. That's an excellent activity. I wish i could think of creative activities like that for my classes.

    Lin

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  2. Wong,

    這個唔合中國人玩喎。

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  3. Lin,

    Yes. Students like activities.

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  4. Yan,

    中國人也有很多信13不祥的,要不就用444吧。

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  5. Wong,

    剛試了,心很安詳。

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  6. Yan,

    不如你寫「我會死於非命,家破人亡」試吓。

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  7. 有些平日懶理智的人,迫到埋身就會「寧可信其有,不可信其無」的了。

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  8. Wong,

    做了,不過只寫前句。唔知點解,唔係好想寫埋後一句。

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  9. Yan,

    //唔知點解,唔係好想寫埋後一句。//

    - 你其實是知道的。

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  10. Chris,

    Yan可能就是一個活生生的例子。

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  11. Wong,

    不要畫公仔畫出腸。


    可以肯定的是,這與迷信沒有關係。

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  12. Yan,

    唉,啱啱俾老婆鬧,話我對你太mean!

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  13. Wong,

    我真心但善意的說話:抵死!

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  14. Wong,

    但我唔覺你對我,或我對你有乜冒犯喎。

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  15. Yan,

    咁就一天都光哂嘞!

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  16. 我自問都唔迷信,但呢籠野唔知點解都係可免則免……

    最近有本新書,雖然我還只翻了幾頁,但應該還是值得一看的

    The Science of Superstition: How the Developing Brain Creates Supernatural Beliefs

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  17. CYC,

    這本書我老婆剛看了,說不錯。還有另外一本也是講迷信的,但我買了兩年仍未看:Robert L. Park, Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science

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  18. 賢內助都幾特別個喔,我女朋友就成日在翻星座書和日劇……

    (你提到那本書,剛剛下載回來)

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  19. CYC,

    我老婆也有看韓劇,但她看書的數量一定超過我。

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  20. Wong, "13" and "444" are not literal descriptions of misfortunes or tragedies, whereas the phrase "我會死於非命,家破人亡" is not only very literal but also lends to vivid mental images. One does not have to be superstitious in the common sense of the word, but can still find such mental images to be disturbing or repulsive. If you think that this is only a matter of degree to which a person is superstitious, then many social taboos can be treated as superstition as well, which does not seem right to me.

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  21. 路人癸,

    You have articulated a part of what's in my mind before.

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  22. 路人癸,

    I think it is not merely because of the vivid images that the phrase may arouse that people are reluctant to write it down; I think the reluctance in many cases has to be explained by the superstitious belief in the magical power of words (i.e. the belief that saying something or writing it down would somehow cause it to happen).

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  23. 要兼做對比測試嗎?另一張紙寫別的什麼。

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  24. "賢內助都幾特別個喔,我女朋友就成日在翻星座書和日劇……"

    Hi CYC, what's so special about women reading books? Women are expected to watch dramas only but not to read books?

    Lin

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  25. Lin,

    I guess you are a woman.

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  26. "不如你寫「我會死於非命,家破人亡」試吓。 "
    ---這個夠恐怖,即使我不怕"13"。我大概也是迷信吧。

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  27. "Lin,

    I guess you are a woman."

    Why? You don't think men could/would point out gender stereotyping about women?

    Lin

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  28. Lin,

    I didn't intend to stereotype a woman, though I was suspected to be.

    My "pointing out" would still be sensible in a converse case:

    When someone interrogating another on why one thinks men read less then women, I would like to also "point out" the one in interrogation is a man.

    Anyway, I always have a prejudice that woman is always wiser than man, indeed.

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  29. Yan,

    I remember Lin mentioned about Lin's husband before. Would this be an evidence to support your conjecture, or we cannot make any assumption on the gender of a wife nowadays?

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  30. Lin,

    Sorry, I didn't mean that way. I just said it as joking way.

    (BTW, when I suggest my GF to read more, her reply is: '我才不讀到像你那副傻樣'
    〆(・ェ・*)...
    and actually, she is always cleverer than me...)

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  31. Hi Yan:

    "When someone interrogating another on why one thinks men read less then women, I would like to also "point out" the one in interrogation is a man." But why? And I didn't mean to interrogate anyone if it was what you were referring to. It's a habit of me asking "why do you think...?" or "why did you say....?"

    It was just interesting to me that you made that comment about me being a woman.

    Hi Meshi:

    Indeed, a man can have a husband these days... We all have to be careful about making assumptions.

    Hi Wong:

    Sorry about taking over your space.

    Lin

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  32. kafailo,

    //要兼做對比測試嗎?另一張紙寫別的什麼。//

    - 可以寫「逢凶化吉」放入口袋,看看有沒有些少心安理得的感覺。

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  33. Franz,

    //這個夠恐怖,即使我不怕"13"。我大概也是迷信吧。//

    - Again, the magical power of words!

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  34. Lin,

    //Sorry about taking over your space.//

    - No problem. I enjoyed the exchange!

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  35. Meshi,

    /*
    I remember Lin mentioned about Lin's husband before. Would this be an evidence to support your conjecture
    */

    I don't notice that...

    /*
    we cannot make any assumption on the gender of a wife nowadays?
    */

    Is it the case that nowadays we cannot make any assumption on the gender of a bachelor also? If no, why isn't it in the bachelor case?

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  36. Lin,

    /*
    It's a habit of me asking "why do you think...?" or "why did you say....?"
    */

    Me too in some occasions.

    /*
    It was just interesting to me that you made that comment about me being a woman.
    */

    Um... It was a guessing, only based on what you said and my understanding of everyday human psychology...

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