Knock on wood

[Mr.Obvious]

Recently I found myself reflecting on my behavior.
I try to avoid superstition as a rule. But during a recent play I, as my character, found myself suddenly knocking on wood on stage impromptu before having an in character talk with another player.
This struck me as odd, but ever since I notice I do it often in day to day life. I don't really think it brings luck, but that's what makes it an oddity to have as a subconscious habit.

Does anybody else do this? Or avoids cracks on the streets? Or avoids going under ladders? Or throws salt over their shoulder? Or even has a lucky coin or pair of underwear or whatever?

[Munch]

I stand accused of the same thing. I grew up in a household with a mother who often would use those kind of actions to counter bad luck. touch wood, saying 'bless you' when someone sneezes, throwing salt over your shoulder.

Though I suppose its the same as carving a jacko lantern at halloween or kissing under the mistletoe, even when we don't adhere to religion anymore doesn't mean we don't do some weird custom, like how sumo wrestlers stamp their feet spread legged.

[Baruch]

I pick up lucky coins or paper money ... because ...

Mr Obvious ... since you knock on wood, maybe a tree nymph will check out your Facebook page ;-))

[Shiranu]

"Downside" to being raised by a quarter Cherokee woman raised by her half Cherokee mother who hated her white half; lots  superstition, particularly moon related and seasonal superstitions.

[Blackleaf]

I used to have a lot of strange habits that could have gotten me labeled as obsessive-compulsive. Avoiding cracks in the street were just one of them. I also twiddled my thumbs. And when I'd do that, I'd have to circle my thumbs around every other finger, and then circle every other finger around the others just every combination would be made. If there was a rough of chairs, and I touched one of them, I'd feel the need to touch every other chair in the row. I don't think that was a superstition, though. I was just weird. I really do think that shedding myself of religious beliefs has made me overall more sane.

[Baruch]

All culture is habit, and all habit is neuroses.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Recently I found myself reflecting on my behavior.
I try to avoid superstition as a rule. But during a recent play I, as my character, found myself suddenly knocking on wood on stage impromptu before having an in character talk with another player.
This struck me as odd, but ever since I notice I do it often in day to day life. I don't really think it brings luck, but that's what makes it an oddity to have as a subconscious habit.

Does anybody else do this? Or avoids cracks on the streets? Or avoids going under ladders? Or throws salt over their shoulder? Or even has a lucky coin or pair of underwear or whatever?

If your habits don't harm anyone then chillax and get on with life.

[Mr.Obvious]

If your habits don't harm anyone then chillax and get on with life.

They hurt the poor wood. It never harmed anyone, yet I keep hitting it.

Why do I keep beating my wood? I want to stop. But it's so hard.

:D

Nah, I get what you're saying. It's just interesting, I think, to see subconcious actions prevailing like that.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

They hurt the poor wood. It never harmed anyone, yet I keep hitting it.

Why do I keep hitting my wood? I want to stop. But it's so hard.

:D

Nah, I get what you're saying. It's just interesting, I think, to see subconcious actions prevailing like that.

I have habits left over from the early '70s. At this point I'm confident that I won't ever "get over them". Boss Lady's used to me, so I don't care.

[SGOS]

I'm not sure if I do things like that.  I'd have to think about it, but I don't see a simple habit as a big issue.  There is a wide gap between knocking on wood, and believing knocking on wood will prevent unseen forces from creating mischief.  The first can be a simple device used to make a point.  The second is an irrational delusion.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

When I say "Knock on wood" it's usually followed by a couple to taps on Boss Lady's head.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I pop knuckles, toes, ankles, knees, shoulders, etc., and do it several times a day and night. I even wake up popping knuckles out of habit. I even count them, over 50 at a time typically.. Ankles are tough to count because I usually pop multiple joints at once there. I'm guessing about 4 at a time in my ankles, but the sound happens so close together it's tough to isolate each one to count..
Yeah, I know..strange.

[Unbeliever]

I pick up lucky coins or paper money ... because ...

Mr Obvious ... since you knock on wood, maybe a tree nymph will check out your Facebook page ;-))

Sometimes I say "knock on wood" while tapping my knuckles on my head...does that count?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I pop knuckles, toes, ankles, knees, shoulders, etc., and do it several times a day and night. I even wake up popping knuckles out of habit. I even count them, over 50 at a time typically.. Ankles are tough to count because I usually pop multiple joints at once there. I'm guessing about 4 at a time in my ankles, but the sound happens so close together it's tough to isolate each one to count..
Yeah, I know..strange.

I used to put my second knuckle on the second finger between my GF's teeth and give it a twist. The "pop" is bone-conducted. She said she loved that. A lot. A whole lot. Quite a bit.

[SGOS]

I used to put my second knuckle on the second finger between my GF's teeth and give it a twist. The "pop" is bone-conducted. She said she loved that. A lot. A whole lot. Quite a bit.

Wow!  A woman of my dreams.