superstition by m lacourt

Superstition and Fortune Cookies

M. LaCourt

Published on February 13, 2007

[Moderator's Note: We thank Ms Marilyn LaCourt, psychologist and author of the critically acclaimed novel "The Prize: A Novel About Bullies and Victims" for granting us permission to publish this article on our website. Her website is http://www.lacourt-m.com/ ]

When asked, most of us would deny weï¿½re superstitious. However, we throw spilled salt over our left shoulder, or avoid walking under a ladder, just in case. If weï¿½re honest we might have to admit we worry just a little if we break a mirror.

   We donï¿½t really believe the ï¿½fortunesï¿½ contained in fortune cookies, do we?   Most of them really donï¿½t contain ï¿½fortunesï¿½ anyway, just little sayings like ï¿½you are careful and systematic in business arrangements,ï¿½ or ï¿½your happiness is intertwined with your outlook on life.ï¿½ A real fortune is supposed to predict something that will happen to you in the future.

    I donï¿½t much care for the taste of fortune cookies, so I donï¿½t usually eat them. I do read the messages though. They provide a bit of entertainment, especially when Iï¿½m dining with a group of people who take turns reading them out loud.

    Iï¿½m not usually superstitious, that is I donï¿½t have a lot of irrational beliefs, that I know of, but I like to play a little game with myself. I donï¿½t eat the cookies with the sayings inside. If the cookie has a fortune I donï¿½t like, I donï¿½t eat it.   If I like
the fortune, I eat the cookie. I play this game where Iï¿½ve decided the ï¿½fortuneï¿½ is more likely to come true if I eat the cookie.

   I ate the cookie containing, ï¿½you will have happiness in your homeï¿½ without a second thought. However, I really had to face my superstition head on when I encountered a fortune that read, ï¿½and you shall be above wantï¿½. Oh my, how much better could it get? Above wantï¿½ After quickly gobbling my cookie, I sat back and thought about what I had just done, about being superstitious and about the meaning of my fortune. How could anyone wish for more than to be above want. My first thought was, I would have everything I have ever wanted. Then it hit me, already having everything I want might not be such a good thing. To be above want meant I would no longer want anything. To stop wanting means Iï¿½m dead. I may just as well stay in bed for the rest of my life because thereï¿½s no reason to get up.

    Now what do I do. Iï¿½ve already eaten the darn cookie. Iï¿½m experiencing a heavy-duty conflict here. It seems I have two choices. I can stay in bed for the rest of my life, or I can discard my superstition. Well, Iï¿½m not dead yet, and Iï¿½m not confined to my bed. I also donï¿½t eat fortune cookies because I donï¿½t like the taste
of them.