A recent study showed that superstitious beliefs can also increase a person's confidence in their own abilities and talents. Participants who received lucky charms set higher goals for what they wanted to accomplish in the tasks and reported feeling more confident in their abilities. (http://channel.nationalgeographic.com).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. The term superstition is thought to derive from the Latin superstitio, meaning "to stand in awe." The term is also related to the Latin word superstes (“survive” or “survive”). In this sense, they are the remains of ideas and beliefs that have persisted long after their original meaning had been forgotten. It is for this reason that superstitions are often considered relics of outdated ways of thinking. (www.newworldencyclopedia.org). A very large number of people firmly believe in the bad luck that comes after breaking a mirror, meeting a black cat or choosing the number 13. Some people believe that falling under a ladder can bring bad luck, others believe that Four-leaf clovers can bring good luck or carry a rabbit's foot. The question now is why people believe these things. We have had superstitions since the beginning of time and they will stay with us until the end. They are powerful and can influence people on how to behave and act in everyday life. They are also very mysterious. The most common superstition in the world is about black cats at night. You tremble or are afraid when you come across a black cat. The ancient belief dates back to when cats were thought to be the companions of witches and would transform into a witch or Satan after seven years of work. So people thought that a cat crossing your path could be a witch or a devil who is up to no good. Another common superstition is that which would bring you seven years of bad luck. Break a mirror. Long before the invention of mirrors, a smooth/shiny surface was considered a tool of the gods. For example water from ponds and lakes. One day a man was walking and saw his reflection in the water. He called it his soul or other self and he believed that if his other self was disturbed in any way it would mean hurting the soul. Well right now you're probably wondering why 7 years of bad luck? For a broken mirror meant broken health. We thought it would take seven years to recover. Most people believe that superstitious beliefs originated in the earliest days of humanity. Faced with natural phenomena like storms and earthquakes, as well as the unpredictability of disease and food supplies, human beings attempted to create an understandable world that could be influenced by action. The first superstitions were created to deal with fear of the unknown. Many also believe that superstitions can be learned behaviors. Children who watch those around them perform superstitious actions like “knock on wood” or not walk under ladders may engage in these behaviors. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The True Origins Some superstitions may be centuries old and have been passed down from generation to generation through such a process of observational learning. Often, superstitions.