Culture is all about the shared knowledge, beliefs, traditions, and practices of a group of people. It shapes everything in life how we talk, what we eat, how we dress, and what we value. Most of the time, culture is passed down from previous generations.
Since culture is such a big part of our lives, this article will look at some beliefs that challenge cultural norms.
Some of you might find these ideas controversial, but they’re based on logic, not tradition.
Examples
Example 1
In Sri Lanka, many people believe that if you see something bad or meet someone with negative energy in the morning, your whole day will go wrong. And strangely, this belief often feels like it comes true.
Here's why:
When you start your day with a negative thought, your mind holds onto it. This makes you more likely to feel stressed, anxious, or irritated, which affects how you act and make decisions. Small mistakes or problems feel bigger, reinforcing the idea that the day is bad.
This is known as a self-fulfilling prophecy because you expect the day to go badly, you unconsciously act in ways that make it happen. Your mind also plays a trick called confirmation bias, where you focus more on the negative and ignore the positive.
So, in the end, what could have been just a normal day turns into a bad one not because of the belief itself, but because of how the belief influences your thoughts and actions.
Example 2
In many cultures, seeing a black cat is considered bad luck. Just like in Example 1, this belief affects how people think.
If someone believes a black cat brings bad luck, they may start expecting something to go wrong. This can cause stress, poor decisions, and a focus on negative events. If anything bad happens, they blame the black cat instead of realizing it was just a coincidence.
Again, the self-fulfilling prophecy is at play. The fear of bad luck creates behaviors that increase the chance of negative experiences.
Example 3
In Sri Lanka, hearing a gecko sound before starting something important is considered a bad sign.
Just like in Example 1 and Example 2, the belief itself doesn’t cause bad things to happen it’s the person’s mindset that does. If they believe things will go wrong, they’ll start seeing problems where there might not be any.
Example 4
In the Philippines, dreaming about cutting your hair is thought to mean losing a loved one. Since hair is seen as a symbol of memories, cutting it in a dream is believed to represent cutting ties with someone important.
If someone takes this belief seriously, they might become anxious and start acting differently in relationships maybe being too cautious or distant. This can create misunderstandings and tension, which could actually lead to losing someone, reinforcing the belief.
This is another example of how a simple thought or fear can shape reality through behavior.
Example 5
NO! I’m going to stop this here. This list could go on forever.
Conclusion
All of these examples are based on self-fulfilling prophecies when people expect something to happen, they act in ways that make it come true.
People who strongly believe in these myths are the most affected because their mindset makes them anticipate negative outcomes. Even those who don’t fully believe might still be influenced by the idea.
But those who never learn about these beliefs don’t experience their effects at all.
The best way to is stay away from absurd cultural beliefs, to think rationally and not let cultural myths shape your reality.