I have been thinking about superstitions. Is there any truth behind them? Or are they all generated by the people who have them? I know some, like the superstitions athletes have, are self created. IE I'm not shaving my beard because we will keep winning games. Those are fed by the energy put into them by the individual. But what about lucky rabbits feet, 4 leaf clovers, and breaking mirrors? Is there some old basis for these? Or are they just part of culture that has snowballed?

Nice one.  I personally think that they are fed by the persons belief in any particular superstition.  That is to say, should someone truly believe that breaking a mirror would bring about 7 years bad luck (for example) in their mind every bad thing that happens to them will be attributed to the mirror, while good things will be discounted.  Personal beliefs play a huge role in a persons psychological make up.  Myself, I'm not superstitious when it comes to mirrors and what have you, however, I will not leave the house with out a few crystals with me.  I'm not sure if this falls under superstition or security blanket, regardless, they give me piece of mind.  Hmmm come to think of it, maybe I am more neurotic than I thought I was.

That is the way I look at it Raph. But I would love to hear what other people think as well. Some of the older, well known superstitions may have some kind of truth behind them. They say there is some truth in every myth.

I think alot of it has to do with your mind, like you guys were saying.  Think you are going to have bad luck you usually see only the bad when it happens.  I also believe that there is some truth behind it as well.  It had to come from somewhere right?

I think it is all in the mind and your outlook on things; same goes if you are around negative people. If you listen to all that negativity, then you start to see only the negative in things. If you look for the positive, positive things will happen usually. If you want to think breaking a mirror, or if a black cat crossing your path are unlucky signs, then your luck will change based on your thoughts. I pretty much agree with Raph.

Now about walking under a ladder, that I think is unlucky. You should walk around a ladder and not under it, it could colapse on you. I'd like to meet the genius that thought of that one.

I don't agree with black cat superstitions either; I own a black cat