Behavioral Grooves Podcast The Science of Superstition: Why Our Brains Believe in Magic
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Oct 27, 2025 This Halloween special explores the intriguing world of superstitions. Discover why we cling to rituals like knocking on wood and wearing lucky socks. The hosts dissect the psychological need for control and how these beliefs can both stress and support us. Learn how superstitions can improve performance but also lead to magical thinking. They even draw connections to Stevie Wonder's wisdom. Curiosity about our rituals is encouraged for a more balanced approach, especially in an age where AI might introduce new superstitions.
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Why Superstitions Are Universal
- Superstitions are universal patterns where people infer control from randomness to reduce uncertainty.
- Our brains fill gaps and prefer causal stories over admitting ignorance, so magic feels sensible.
Lucky Socks Example
- Kurt Nelson describes wearing 'lucky socks' with Einstein and confidence messages to games.
- He uses them as a superstition that boosts belief and possibly performance.
Causation Bias Drives Magical Thinking
- People seek causal explanations and control when events seem random, so they adopt rituals to feel safer.
- Mistakenly attributing causation to correlation (like shark attacks and ice cream) drives many superstitions.