Household Superstitions - Joseph Addison

𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧

Overview : One day, Addison received an invitation from an old acquaintance to join him and his family for supper. They have a long-standing friendship. Upon arriving at his residence, Addison was taken aback to discover that the entire family was greatly disillusioned. The cause was that the mistress of the residence had experienced a highly distressing dream the previous night, causing apprehension among all of them. They were fearful that this dream was an omen of an impending catastrophe for the family. These factors led Addison to assume that the hostess, in particular, was a highly superstitious woman. 

 The events inside the family provided sufficient evidence to validate his conviction that the superstitions held a significant sway over the entire family. Addison resided with the family for a considerable duration, during which he experienced a profound state of confusion and restlessness. He acknowledges that this acquaintance was a pleasant man, but he had a limited comprehension. He lacked wisdom. He consistently acquiesced to his wife's opinions, regardless of their irrational nature. She possessed unwavering belief that dreams might bring either favorable or unfavorable fortune. Additionally, they held strong beliefs in numerous other superstitions. They refrained from initiating any new projects on Childermas day. 

 The act of accidentally scattering salt was regarded by them as an unfavorable sign, and if it occurred during supper, it would negatively impact the overall atmosphere of the entire family. If the knife and fork were placed in a crossed position on the plate, it would cause the family to feel melancholic and sorrowful. Addison found the experience of having supper with such a family to be inherently distressing. They believed that Addison was responsible for their problems because he accidentally spilled the salt and placed the knife and fork across his plate. Additionally, they believed that he was the individual that appeared in the dream the previous night. Addison saw those notions as silly, so he quickly completed his dinner and departed, therefore preventing any humiliation for both himself and his host.  Addison asserts that when an individual becomes superfluous and undesirable in a firm, they promptly become aware of their situation. 

Similarly, he observed that he was unwelcome in his friend's family. The hostess regarded him as undesirable and unfortunate for her family. After the dinner concluded, he promptly left without delay. Upon arriving home, he was deeply contemplative and earnestly reflected upon the significant events that had transpired. He determined that the sole underlying reason of everything that occurred that evening was the ignorant and superstitious notion. He deduced that superstitions were accountable for the illusory and fictitious ailments in human life. These dumb and absurd things cause great unhappiness. Individuals who hold beliefs in phenomena such as omens and superstitions can be considered highly foolish. 

Even in the absence of sadness or suffering, superstitions might nonetheless bring about misfortunes. Therefore, we experience just as much distress from fabricated and fanciful hardships as we do from genuine mishaps and calamities. He considers the shooting of a star or the screeching of an owl at night to be the most significant superstitions. They generate superfluous anxiety in our existence. These individuals make their existence a torment of anxiety and suffering because they see catastrophe in every event.   

According to Addison, elderly women who are physically unwell and incapable of engaging in productive activities struggle to occupy their time. To occupy themselves, they engage in the activity of issuing predictions about the imminent catastrophe, which is really a product of their dumb imagination. They disseminate malevolent ideas and nonsensical beliefs among the naive populace, resulting in a constant state of apprehension and dread of an impending calamity.

 Thus, they are the primary catalyst for disseminating the pernicious influence of superstition inside society. Individuals who are uncomplicated and naive are particularly vulnerable to experiencing such terror. Under such circumstances, it is incumbent to the prudent individuals to rescue them from such foolish actions and alleviate their irrational anxieties. They should employ logical thinking and persuade them of their malevolence. They should enlighten them on the irrationality of these superstitious beliefs.