Does Chinese superstition overcomes their capability to reason properly?

Question

Chinese Supersition! They omit the number four just because it SOUNDS LIKE the chinese word death. In chinese characters the character which makes up the word death and the number four is so much difference, yet they taboo the number four. Wheres the common sense to all this?

Answer 1

You said it...it's superstitions......

Superstitions and common sense / rationale / logic most certainly do not go hand in hand...

Anyhow, it does not mean all Chinese are superstitious...

Btw, whoever said Chinese are stupid and useless is probably more so himself. Chinese in general are one of the smartest in the world and they are a very hardworking bunch.

Anyway, Chinese from USA, Canada, Australia, HK, Singapore, Mainland China etc are all very different...

You need to take a flight to Asia or Shanghai to OPEN your eyes and expand your horizon!

Answer 2

Your point is valid, but you have generalized. I mean, not ALL people should be thought to believe or act in the same way.

In USA there is often no floor # 13, the elevator buttons go from 12 to 14, because of superstition over the number 13 ( which is weird, because on the one dollar bill, 13 is symbolized several times).

Answer 3

So? In Western culture, they also skip the 13th floor in a building to the 14th...when in reality, the 14th floor IS the 13th floor. Where's the logic in THAT? Just because you don't call it the 13th floor doesn't mean that it isn't. There's superstition in EVERY culture, not only the Chinese. So what do you call "don't break a mirror or you'll have 7 years of bad luck"; "Don't step on the crack or you'll break your mother's back"; Don't walk under a ladder or let a black cat cross your path"...are they common sense???

Answer 4

So how do they count four things. Grow up. I teach history of maths and how the names for number originate in different languages. Chinese use their word for four when they count! Maybe it's a certain dialect, you're talking about, not the mainline Chinese langauge. You find superstitious all over the world.

Answer 5

Some tall buildings in the U.S. do not have the 13th floor on the elevator. It is superstition and it is without scientfic reasoning. I guess no culture is immune to the superstions of the individuals that make up that portion of the world population.

Answer 6

Where is the "common sense" to not walking under ladders, not allowing black cats to cross one's path, being scared of witches--or the construct of "Satan" for that matter, picking up pennies or 4-leafed clovers for good luck, etc, etc, etc.

ALL nations have their superstitions. Lay off the Chinese.

Answer 7

The Chinese superstition is other nations properly reason.

Answer 8

a lot of people are very connected to their cultures and belief systems~~its not superstitions or fantasy to them, it's just a part of their lives~~that one would embrace their beliefs and integrate it into their day to day lives is great// I find religious people do the same thing, they wear crucifixes and pray and eat fish on friday and some get their foreheads ashed on ash wednesdays~the 7 day adventists and jehovahs witnesses go house to house to convert the masses~~(you tell me, is that any more or less sane) in an outsiders opinion~~~~~

Answer 9

nah, i am chinese and i lived in apt 404 and have a bunch of 4s in my cell phone # that i have been using for the past 10 years, i am still alive and kickin...

Answer 10

Superstition is for those who lack common sense.