7 ms·

Study shows believers in astrology are less intelligent and more narcissistic

11 points by vanusa 5y ago

coolgeek 5y ago
Every time I see a birthdate.co commercial on TV, I want to punch the TV, the birthdate.co founders, and whoever is funding them (TV advertising is not cheap - at least not at the scale that they're employing)
guilhas 5y ago
Interestingly the pandemic started during a relevant astrological/astronomical event that only happened last during the industrial revolution
- Jensson 5y ago
  What is an astrological event?
  - guilhas 5y ago
    Astronomical events relevant to astrology? I could have said astronomical I guess, really not my area of expertise
- pdimitar 5y ago
  Care to clarify?
  - guilhas 5y ago
    Some rare alignment of planets I can probably find the 2019 video on it. Not that anyone predicted a virus, but they said it meant heavy changes to how society works during the next 5 years Even if just coincidence it is interesting enough to mention on a post about astrology
    - Bobylonian 5y ago
      2019 is really too late for prediction. I was wondering about all the prophets of future and astrology that I was following and there was no one that predicted covid and lockdowns. The closest to predicting covid, lockdowns and other things that I had read were from conspiracy theorists.
      - guilhas 5y ago
        (2016 video) 2020 - 2021 ASTROLOGY - DAWNING OF A NEW AGE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J7lKRwsTCkQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J7lKRwsTCkQ (2019 video) HOROSCOPE for the historical year of 2020 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gDaZZkVrM4s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gDaZZkVrM4s I said above not really a virus prediction, but once in a lifetime society changes, lighter structures, power restructure, shake up of the financial system, even climate change Anyone could probably make general predictions around this, but maybe not be this specific how relevant 2020 would be
bluepoint 5y ago
> They then recruited 264 English speaking adults using Facebook to take their questionnaire. Their conclusion is my own personal bias, but this does not seem like quality research. It is hard to measure intelligence and the group is selected among people who spend time on facebook… Belief in astrology might indicate poor education maybe.
- onecommentman 5y ago
  The study seems like an intriguing and fun result based on some numbers that you can share with others, but not take too seriously. Like astrology itself.
gladinovax 5y ago
In other news people who engage in divination are not prone to critical thinking or empathy.
crmd 5y ago
Since the four seasons cause major variations in human activities and behavior, it’s quite plausible to me that the month a child is born, and therefore the sequencing of early childhood experiences during critical brain development, could have a statistically measurable effect on personality traits across a population. However, I haven’t heard a remotely plausible explanation for the position of celestial objects at the moment of birth having an impact on personality traits. Or, as I’m told, that’s the Libra in me coming out!
- vanattab 5y ago
  If this was true wouldn't we expect people born in Northern and Southern regions to exhibit signs consistent with astrological predictions and people born near the equator to be more consistent in their traits?
  - Bobylonian 5y ago
    That is a very good point and I wonder why I have not thought about that. Though I always looked on this as a prediction tool - not for classifying things, as for that I had my own observations. I would think, that modern astrology is cultural thing, where people self-condition themselves in believing in some of the things, however I can't think of many similarities between me and other people, that would be as the same that I am sharing with my parents(and link to parents is the main in defining my characteristics, even when I do not like that link), so meh.
- musicale 5y ago
  > However, I haven’t heard a remotely plausible explanation for the position of celestial objects at the moment of birth having an impact on personality traits. One "remotely plausible" explanation I have heard is that it's correlation rather than causation. The same (possibly unknown or not well understood) root cause could give rise both to celestial events and to events in your own life. And as you mentioned, the time of year (not to mention the year itself) that you are born can have a strong affect on your early development, your personality, and ultimately your life - though presumably it would be different in the northern vs. summer hemisphere. And of course the sun and moon directly influence weather and tides and can affect human behavior and biology.
flembat 5y ago
Wait until you see the horoscope for physicists though, not looking good for scientists with Scorpio in Uranus..

11 points by vanusa 5y ago

Every time I see a birthdate.co commercial on TV, I want to punch the TV, the birthdate.co founders, and whoever is funding them (TV advertising is not cheap - at least not at the scale that they're employing)

guilhas 5y ago

Interestingly the pandemic started during a relevant astrological/astronomical event that only happened last during the industrial revolution

Jensson 5y ago
What is an astrological event?
- guilhas 5y ago
  Astronomical events relevant to astrology? I could have said astronomical I guess, really not my area of expertise
pdimitar 5y ago
Care to clarify?
- guilhas 5y ago
  Some rare alignment of planets I can probably find the 2019 video on it. Not that anyone predicted a virus, but they said it meant heavy changes to how society works during the next 5 years Even if just coincidence it is interesting enough to mention on a post about astrology
  - Bobylonian 5y ago
    2019 is really too late for prediction. I was wondering about all the prophets of future and astrology that I was following and there was no one that predicted covid and lockdowns. The closest to predicting covid, lockdowns and other things that I had read were from conspiracy theorists.
    - guilhas 5y ago
      (2016 video) 2020 - 2021 ASTROLOGY - DAWNING OF A NEW AGE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J7lKRwsTCkQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J7lKRwsTCkQ (2019 video) HOROSCOPE for the historical year of 2020 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gDaZZkVrM4s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gDaZZkVrM4s I said above not really a virus prediction, but once in a lifetime society changes, lighter structures, power restructure, shake up of the financial system, even climate change Anyone could probably make general predictions around this, but maybe not be this specific how relevant 2020 would be

bluepoint 5y ago

> They then recruited 264 English speaking adults using Facebook to take their questionnaire. Their conclusion is my own personal bias, but this does not seem like quality research. It is hard to measure intelligence and the group is selected among people who spend time on facebook… Belief in astrology might indicate poor education maybe.

onecommentman 5y ago
The study seems like an intriguing and fun result based on some numbers that you can share with others, but not take too seriously. Like astrology itself.

gladinovax 5y ago

In other news people who engage in divination are not prone to critical thinking or empathy.

crmd 5y ago

Since the four seasons cause major variations in human activities and behavior, it’s quite plausible to me that the month a child is born, and therefore the sequencing of early childhood experiences during critical brain development, could have a statistically measurable effect on personality traits across a population. However, I haven’t heard a remotely plausible explanation for the position of celestial objects at the moment of birth having an impact on personality traits. Or, as I’m told, that’s the Libra in me coming out!

vanattab 5y ago
If this was true wouldn't we expect people born in Northern and Southern regions to exhibit signs consistent with astrological predictions and people born near the equator to be more consistent in their traits?
- Bobylonian 5y ago
  That is a very good point and I wonder why I have not thought about that. Though I always looked on this as a prediction tool - not for classifying things, as for that I had my own observations. I would think, that modern astrology is cultural thing, where people self-condition themselves in believing in some of the things, however I can't think of many similarities between me and other people, that would be as the same that I am sharing with my parents(and link to parents is the main in defining my characteristics, even when I do not like that link), so meh.
musicale 5y ago
> However, I haven’t heard a remotely plausible explanation for the position of celestial objects at the moment of birth having an impact on personality traits. One "remotely plausible" explanation I have heard is that it's correlation rather than causation. The same (possibly unknown or not well understood) root cause could give rise both to celestial events and to events in your own life. And as you mentioned, the time of year (not to mention the year itself) that you are born can have a strong affect on your early development, your personality, and ultimately your life - though presumably it would be different in the northern vs. summer hemisphere. And of course the sun and moon directly influence weather and tides and can affect human behavior and biology.

flembat 5y ago

Wait until you see the horoscope for physicists though, not looking good for scientists with Scorpio in Uranus..