Everyone is superstitious, everyone is a little autistic

Superstition. It’s a weird thing to believe in, don’t you think? But still I think maybe everyone is at least a little superstitious. Don’t you have a piece of clothing that gives you luck? Or a lucky number? Well, superstition doesn’t always have to be about things that give you luck. It can also be about your (daily) routine. Or looking at a digital clock and notice all the numbers are the same, like 22.22. And you think ‘Oh no! That must mean something!’.

There are some general superstitious things: number 13, walking under a ladder, opening an umbrella indoors, seeing a black cat, the groom seeing the bride before the marriage, and many more. I said some, but when I come to think, there are a lot of those things. Not just superstitious things that give you bad luck, but also ones that give you luck. Try to think of some. If you can’t, this might help.

I also am superstitious about some things. If I wouldn’t be, why write about it, right? Like I wrote in my previous post, I always push the button at the traffic light three times for it to turn green. And when I change the volume of the sound at my laptop or the radio, it has to be an even number, or a multiple of 5. Or if I don’t stick to my routine, something bad will happen to me.

It even gets to the point that I can actually blame myself for something bad that happened, just because I moved the furniture for instance. Then I’m like ‘I knew I shouldn’t have done that, why did I do that? I should’ve just let things the way they were’. Or it can be the other way around. Like I believe that a particular change in my routine is the cause of a good thing that happened.
I usually just stick to my routines and don’t change anything. Because that’s safe. If I change something, that either can lead to a good thing, or a bad thing. And I don’t want that bad thing to happen, so for my sake I try to stick to my routines.

I think it’s all about having something to hold on to, it makes you feel safe. The believe that a greater force can have an influence and you just have to obey it by sticking to your ‘rules’.

I also think – and this may be a harsh statement – that superstition is a lot like being autistic. Autistics must do certain thing a certain way or else they will freak out. Just like you must wear your lucky shirt, or your team won’t win the game. So, to refer to one of my first sentences, if everyone is at least a little superstitious, everyone is a little autistic.

P.S.: While writing this post, this song just got into my head. Enjoy it!