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I feel this way about college-educated adults that I meet that believe in Astrology. So nuts how many I've met since moving to New York

wrsh07 7y ago
One of these things is not like the other Astrology outbreaks are not a concern of mine Even when the moon is in retrograde
- dmitryminkovsky 7y ago
  Eh something about astrology is really unsettling. Yes, not like antivaxers, but I’m with GP.
  - wrsh07 7y ago
    Honestly, for most people, an effective model is to think of it like a sport. It's something people obsess over, can impact their emotions and otherwise is pretty harmless
    - dmitryminkovsky 7y ago
      I appreciate what you’re saying but I don’t know... I’ve come to terms with sports. Not so with astrology. Something about it...
    - inflatableDodo 7y ago
      To me astrology seems like just a load of old bunk, but that's probably because I'm a pisces.
      - dmitryminkovsky 7y ago
        Gemini here, I’m all over the place...
        inflatableDodo 7y ago
        You are right to be wary though. I think programmers should be professionally leery of astrologers. And if asked for a reason they should reference this - http://www.thedailyparker.com/post/2011/10/06/c5f28bae-4b9c-41ea-b7b7-8891ad63c938 http://www.thedailyparker.com/post/2011/10/06/c5f28bae-4b9c-...
      - TheAnvil 7y ago
        I see what you did there.
- unfunco 7y ago
  Cancer is worrying though.
derekp7 7y ago
So here's one thing to consider about Astrology -- it is essentially a natural calendar. And there is the phrase that history repeats itself, or at least it rhymes. So putting those two together, I can see how people can look to the stars for answers. Well, that and confirmation bias whenever a coincidence happens.
- isostatic 7y ago
  I wouldn’t be surprised if there were statistically similar traits based around the time of year you were born / entered school
  - zrobotics 7y ago
    For the kind of statistical significance (read: confirmation bias) that astrology relies upon, anything will work. Horoscopes could be written based not on astrological sign, but on the first letter of street name of a person's first address and apply. Search hard enough, and some sort of correlation can almost always be found. Astrology has some value, in the same way alchemy has value: it helped start serious scientific inquiry into astronomy. Sadly, while there are now vanishingly small amounts of people who take alchemy seriously, astrology is a relatively common belief to hold, even among people who are scientifically-minded. It puts me in mind of the first 9/11 truther I knew, who was a close friend who should have known better. However, at the time she was willing to buy into it, simply because it played into her anti-GWBush sentiments. This is after I explained how the statements were false, and backed it up w/ evidence (having queried my father, who was a mining engineer and had done building implosions in his career as a blasting contractor). Unfortunately, "smart people" can just as easily fall prey to these types of delusions, it seems to be a common human trait (like all the logical fallacies). Thinking that one is immune paradoxically makes one more susceptible to these types of errors, rather the best defense is to recognize that no, nobody is immune. Much in the same way as ignoring advertising's effect on decision-making. Edit:typo
    - isostatic 7y ago
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15490760 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15490760 It links to an ifs report > Those early formative years influence attitudes and expectations about success, academically and socially, and that can possibly stay with an individual. Maybe there’s no measurable difference by adulthood, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was.
tjr225 7y ago
I don't necessarily believe or put any faith in Astrology, but I do find it fun- perhaps some of the people you meet feel the same way?
- jamesrcole 7y ago
  > I don't necessarily believe... To be honest, when someone puts it that way, it sounds like they do actually believe it, to some extent at least. No one who doesn't believe it would phrase things that way.
  - tjr225 7y ago
    > No one who doesn't believe it would phrase things that way. And why do you say that? Do you have any reason to think I'm not being earnest other than your "hunch"? Is that really the quality of discussion you want to have with complete strangers who are otherwise saying nothing offensive whatsoever- to question their sincerity? Seems pretty whack to me.
    - jamesrcole 7y ago
      I believe you're being earnest. I'm taking what you're saying as what you mean. When someone says "I don't believe X" it means they don't believe it. When someone says "I don't necessarily believe X" it means they kinda do believe it. Not one person who believes the world is spherical would ever say (or agree that it correctly captures their view) the statement "I don't necessarily believe the world is flat". [EDIT: I thought this example might help make things clearer. version 1: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't find her attractive. & version 2: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't necessarily find her attractive. A husband that genuinely did not find the co-worker attractive would never express things in the second way. It's clear in that second way that he does find her attractive to some extent but doesn't want to say it] Sometimes "I don't necessarily believe..." is used when the person feels awkward admitting that they have some belief, or when they haven't consciously realised that they do. It can be when they haven't fully admitted it to themselves.
cletus 7y ago
New York in general is a very superstitious place. There are a lot of people here who came from the Old World a century ago and those superstitions came with them. Psychic readings, crystal balls, crystals, Tarot cards, all that. But this kind of thing tends to also serve as a psychological aid. People with anxiety being told things they want to hear. For some psychics serve as de facto therapists. This isn't to say there aren't charlatans and scammers who take advantage of the vulnerable and impressionable. But on the whole, Astrology and the like are "harmless", at which point I personally don't care. People are entitled to their personal foolishness.

wrsh07 7y ago

One of these things is not like the other Astrology outbreaks are not a concern of mine Even when the moon is in retrograde

dmitryminkovsky 7y ago
Eh something about astrology is really unsettling. Yes, not like antivaxers, but I’m with GP.
- wrsh07 7y ago
  Honestly, for most people, an effective model is to think of it like a sport. It's something people obsess over, can impact their emotions and otherwise is pretty harmless
  - dmitryminkovsky 7y ago
    I appreciate what you’re saying but I don’t know... I’ve come to terms with sports. Not so with astrology. Something about it...
  - inflatableDodo 7y ago
    To me astrology seems like just a load of old bunk, but that's probably because I'm a pisces.
    - dmitryminkovsky 7y ago
      Gemini here, I’m all over the place...
      - inflatableDodo 7y ago
        You are right to be wary though. I think programmers should be professionally leery of astrologers. And if asked for a reason they should reference this - http://www.thedailyparker.com/post/2011/10/06/c5f28bae-4b9c-41ea-b7b7-8891ad63c938 http://www.thedailyparker.com/post/2011/10/06/c5f28bae-4b9c-...
    - TheAnvil 7y ago
      I see what you did there.
unfunco 7y ago
Cancer is worrying though.

derekp7 7y ago

So here's one thing to consider about Astrology -- it is essentially a natural calendar. And there is the phrase that history repeats itself, or at least it rhymes. So putting those two together, I can see how people can look to the stars for answers. Well, that and confirmation bias whenever a coincidence happens.

isostatic 7y ago
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were statistically similar traits based around the time of year you were born / entered school
- zrobotics 7y ago
  For the kind of statistical significance (read: confirmation bias) that astrology relies upon, anything will work. Horoscopes could be written based not on astrological sign, but on the first letter of street name of a person's first address and apply. Search hard enough, and some sort of correlation can almost always be found. Astrology has some value, in the same way alchemy has value: it helped start serious scientific inquiry into astronomy. Sadly, while there are now vanishingly small amounts of people who take alchemy seriously, astrology is a relatively common belief to hold, even among people who are scientifically-minded. It puts me in mind of the first 9/11 truther I knew, who was a close friend who should have known better. However, at the time she was willing to buy into it, simply because it played into her anti-GWBush sentiments. This is after I explained how the statements were false, and backed it up w/ evidence (having queried my father, who was a mining engineer and had done building implosions in his career as a blasting contractor). Unfortunately, "smart people" can just as easily fall prey to these types of delusions, it seems to be a common human trait (like all the logical fallacies). Thinking that one is immune paradoxically makes one more susceptible to these types of errors, rather the best defense is to recognize that no, nobody is immune. Much in the same way as ignoring advertising's effect on decision-making. Edit:typo
  - isostatic 7y ago
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15490760 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15490760 It links to an ifs report > Those early formative years influence attitudes and expectations about success, academically and socially, and that can possibly stay with an individual. Maybe there’s no measurable difference by adulthood, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was.

tjr225 7y ago

I don't necessarily believe or put any faith in Astrology, but I do find it fun- perhaps some of the people you meet feel the same way?

jamesrcole 7y ago
> I don't necessarily believe... To be honest, when someone puts it that way, it sounds like they do actually believe it, to some extent at least. No one who doesn't believe it would phrase things that way.
- tjr225 7y ago
  > No one who doesn't believe it would phrase things that way. And why do you say that? Do you have any reason to think I'm not being earnest other than your "hunch"? Is that really the quality of discussion you want to have with complete strangers who are otherwise saying nothing offensive whatsoever- to question their sincerity? Seems pretty whack to me.
  - jamesrcole 7y ago
    I believe you're being earnest. I'm taking what you're saying as what you mean. When someone says "I don't believe X" it means they don't believe it. When someone says "I don't necessarily believe X" it means they kinda do believe it. Not one person who believes the world is spherical would ever say (or agree that it correctly captures their view) the statement "I don't necessarily believe the world is flat". [EDIT: I thought this example might help make things clearer. version 1: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't find her attractive. & version 2: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't necessarily find her attractive. A husband that genuinely did not find the co-worker attractive would never express things in the second way. It's clear in that second way that he does find her attractive to some extent but doesn't want to say it] Sometimes "I don't necessarily believe..." is used when the person feels awkward admitting that they have some belief, or when they haven't consciously realised that they do. It can be when they haven't fully admitted it to themselves.

cletus 7y ago

New York in general is a very superstitious place. There are a lot of people here who came from the Old World a century ago and those superstitions came with them. Psychic readings, crystal balls, crystals, Tarot cards, all that. But this kind of thing tends to also serve as a psychological aid. People with anxiety being told things they want to hear. For some psychics serve as de facto therapists. This isn't to say there aren't charlatans and scammers who take advantage of the vulnerable and impressionable. But on the whole, Astrology and the like are "harmless", at which point I personally don't care. People are entitled to their personal foolishness.