Fear and superstitions: The dread surrounding Friday the 13th
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's Friday the 13th. Some embrace it as fun while others look at it with a wary eye. KDKA's John Shumway is on superstition duty this morning.
The movies didn't help anything and often just exaggerate the dread surrounding the day on the calendar.
Psychology professor and private counselor Dr. Ruben Brock says there's always been a kind of strange superstition about the number 13 and says that many have picked up on the idea that if it falls on a Friday, we're in trouble.
"If you have something that you can choose when it's going to be, most people wouldn't choose Friday the 13th, even if they say they're not superstitious, even if they say that doesn't mean anything to them. Most people would say let's just not take tempt fate," Dr. Brock said.
Many elective surgeries are pushed to any other day.
On this Friday the 13th, there's a massive Mega Millions jackpot up for grabs.
"To play or not?" Dr. Brock asked. "And if you win, does that mean the money's bad luck? Right? I would I would dare someone to give back that that jackpot lottery of $1.3 billion. So yeah, I mean, you know, it only goes so far. I think people would be foolish to let it get in."
While playing along with Friday the 13th can be fun, for those suspicious of the day, it can be serious.
If you're a non-believer in the day, that's fine. But if you are a believer in the superstition of the day, it should have its limits.
For many, it's just another day on the calendar.
But for others, the number 13 just feels unlucky and for many people, they just won't touch it, and often, there's a reason behind the fear.
"All you need us for one thing to happen on the 13th or one time you you know, you lose the big game by 13 points and then you're hooked," Dr. Brock said.
Dr. Brock says being hooked is not always innocent when it interrupts your normal activities.
"If it becomes so problematic, that you're fixated on it, and you're unable to move past it and just kind of do your normal daily life. That's whenever I would say you need to call someone," Dr. Brock said.
Dr. Brock says delaying something today because you just don't want to tempt fate is okay, but if the fear is paralyzing, that's an issue.