How many of you believe that Friday the 13th will bring you bad luck? Or more interestingly, how many of you know there is word for describing fear of the number 13?
Really, there is a word for describing the fear and it is called Triskaidekaphobia. Now, the probability of this piece of info ever helping you win the jackpot or your dream job or any other great thing is about 0.0001%. Still, it is good trivia :-D!
Anyways, a few years ago, on some Friday the 13th, during one of those frequent day-dreaming, eyes-glazed over, thinking modes I indulge in, I was wondering about the rationality of feeling scared about the particular number 13. Why not 2 or 41 or 895645. Even more weirdly, how can you be worried about some date because it bears a particular number and falls on a particular day? But I guess that's why the fear is called a phobia.
Then I thought about how, because there is a negative connotation associated with it, using the number 13 is actually a form of discrimination in any situation where a number can be assigned to a person. That got me thinking about how, of all possible situations where an individual can be assigned a number, being born on a 13th is something which the individual has absolutely no control over.
"Oh those poor souls born on the 13th. They are stuck with the number all their life. Hmm, I do like the number 13 though," went my brain. Soon I started thinking of "close" people I knew who were born on the 13th. I thought and thought but could not come up with anyone. I knew I was missing out on someone I knew really well but couldn't put my finger on the person. Finally I gave up. Oh well, it would come back to me eventually.
Some fifteen minutes later it hit me. I was born on March 13th!
Happy Friday the 13th folks! 13th usually works great for me and by association, will work great for all of you reading this post :-)!
13 comments:
Hey me a little reserved on that 13th number :-). Not very irrational but if I have a choice its the last thing on the list. :-)
But hey for some reason I always liked, the 13th of April from childhood as it used to be a festival "Baisakhi" in North India and incidentally, we got engaged on the same day. So today Friday the 13th is something I like. :-)
the only phobia i know is cynophobia...i like 13 its kinda nice....
In atlanta there is a hotel that doesn't have 13th floor.
So after 12, it is fourteen ... and I wonder calling it fourteen, doesn't makeit fourteen...it is still 13th floor.
the only person who's bday I sorta remember.. yours.. my sis was born on march 13.. I think she's extremely lucky.. I dint have a elder brother to take care of things and she does ;)
is this some kind of cheap reminder to people who did not wish you on your birthday?
LOL! :--) Funny you forgetting your own bday.
I think a lot of places dont have number 13, one superstition in US, or may be all over the world.
This reminds me of the comment my colleague N made when my colleague P informed us that he had booked his flight ticket and chosen row 13. But on second thoughts had decided it would be bad luck and switched to seat 12. N looked at P wide eyed and asked 'So you think the whole plane will fly OK but not seat no. 13?'
Archana - :-)! Nice to know you like some 13th at least :-)) - please to extend it to include March 13 also - :-P!
iamvisheshur - cynophobia??? Fear of the color cyan :-D?
Thanu - I know! That sounds so illogical...
T - lol :-) - anniyayathukku ippadi self praise :-P!
Pratap - er...if that was the case, should'nt I have put this post one month before bday happened and not one month after??
SK - :-) - apparently this superstition is prevalent elsewhere too..
Sindu - ah, I thought I shd put up this story too - heheh :-)!
lol..no fear of dogs..
Hey, Dan Brown has explained why Friday the 13th is known as black friday in his book da vinci code :)..
iamvisheshur - LOL :-) - okay, fear of dogs it is - heheh!
ace - hmm, I have read the book but don't remember it now :-(!
Do you know that M$ skipped Office 13 and started working on v14 after releasing v12?
Parrot - hey :-)! Yup, read about it on Wikipedia ... no limits for superstition!!
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