Habit, Superstition and Spain

We human beings are creatures of habit. Most of us wake up, go to work or school, eat meals, consume media, and socialize in predictable patterns. The illusions of control we experience in small bursts throughout the day blind us to the underlying complexities of life — politics, finance, economy — all the while reaffirming that no matter how we choose to act in any given situation, our decisions are more-or-less made for us. Case in point: today you will go to the supermarket just as you did yesterday, you’ll browse the vegetable aisle just as you did yesterday, you’ll feel, smell and compare the prices of all the different vegetables — the differences between which are negligible — before deciding for yourself what to have for dinner. And yet, the options you’ll be presented with at the supermarket are predetermined by factors largely out of your control, complex factors beginning with what the market demands that farmers grow — choices that are in turn highly restricted by the kinds of land they own, the climates in which they live, their access to credit, and so on. 

So how does superstition fit in? During this year’s World Cup I have worn my Spanish jersey for all of Spain’s matches except for one, their first, when they lost “shockingly” to Switzerland. Since then, I’ve worn my freshly washed jersey for each match, whether watching at home by myself, at friends’ homes, in cozy pubs or in the massively crowded patio at the Camino bar. As it happens, it seems nearly everyone at Camino was wearing their own Spanish jerseys during the Switzerland match, so clearly fans’ remote jersey wearing was not the defining factor in Spain’s 0-1 defeat. And yet, I’ll still wash my jersey from Wednesday, hang it to air dry, and wear it with gusto for tomorrow’s final against Holland. I’ve developed a pattern of thought — a habit — and though I know it will have no actual impact on the result of the match, wearing the jersey will make me feel more comfortable, more happy. I’m not a religious person and will not be praying to the saints for a Spanish victory like Spanish television commentators do live on-air (ie “The angel came down from the heavens and said, ‘Here is my throne!’” when Paraguay missed a penalty). But I can’t deny the impact of superstition and habit in my life.

Wildlife Notes:

• Psychic German octopus “Pulpo Paul” has predicted Spain as winners against Holland
• “Mina” the equally psychic parakeet from Singapore has picked Holland as winners tomorrow