Here's a common superstition. . . We say "God bless you" when a person sneezes. Why? Well, this particular superstition started in the Middle Ages when it was thought that the devil could enter a person in unguarded moments, such as when they were in the midst of a sneeze. If someone said the magic words "God bless you" during or after the sneeze, the demonic possession could be avoided.



In many high rise buildings, you can take the stairs one flight up from the twelfth floor to the fourteen floor. What happened to the thirteenth floor? It's called triskaidekaphobia, and in Western cultures, it's a fear of the number 13. (Eastern cultures have a superstition about the number 4 called tetraphobia.)

As our world becomes more unstable, the more we look for stability and for explanation. In a moment I'm going to tell you how to use this fact to your advantage in persuasion.

What about something as innocuous as walking under a ladder? This dates back to early Christianity as the sides of the ladder and the ground form a triangle, the symbol of Holy Trinity.

By walking under the ladder, it was thought, there was a violation of the trinity, putting those that walked under it on the same level as the devil. I didn't know this. But I sure have been avoiding walking under ladders since I was a kid. Perhaps it's wise. . . on a physical level, avoiding ending up with a bucket of paint . . .but why do we believe bad luck will befall us if we do this? It's a real stretch.

I have an acquaintance who believes all religion and spirituality is superstition. I happen to think he's wrong, but I appreciate the perspective in that it's just another example of how framing is a powerful tool for looking at the world around us.

Superstition is defined as 'an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.'

Helen Keller asserted, "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature. . . Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." This is a powerful example of how diverse we are in our thinking, and at the same time, we all believe in something as irrational as 'security'.

How can we use the fact that all of us 'believe' in something (possibly an 'irrational belief') to persuade?

The more our world becomes unstable, the more people look for stability and look for ways to explain things. As a persuader, you have the ability to offer explanations, just the same way that they do to make sense out of their life.

People look for reasons to support their beliefs, to explain their reality, to assign blame, and we can do the same.

One of my favorite superstitious phrases is, 'There are no accidents'. We can use this to effectively persuade our affluent clients and prospects. For example, say our client has had problems in the past, we can use this term to indicate that that time is past and that those problems are over and that there's a reason they've ended up talking to you. 'After all, there are no accidents.'

Is it true that we live in a universe where there are no accidents? Of course not. Will you be called on it by your prospect or client? Probably not. Unless you come up against a cynic who views the world through the frame that everyone is superstitious.