Fortune-telling
From ArticleWorld
Fortune Telling involves predicting the future of a person by paranormal methods mostly done with a monetary gain in mind. It is almost synonymous with religious practice of divination.
Fortune tellers make predictions by gazing into a crystal ball (Crystallomancy), reading palms (Chiromancy), Tarot cards, interpreting the positions of stars (astrology) etc. The readings may relate to an individual’s past, present or future.
Many swear by their fortune tellers while others regard it as a pseudoscience. However, it is immensely popular across all cultures and religions. History is replete with anecdotal cases substantiating the truth of such readings. The reasons attributed to their accuracy are manifold.
- Ambiguity is a key characteristic of predictions. If one goes wrong, the blame lies with the interpretation and not with the prediction.
- The need for confirmation forces people to look for instances when the predictions have borne fruit.
- The Forer Effect : Some acts are common to most people so a generalized statement often brings a vigorous nod from the seeker without realizing that it is a shared characteristic.
- Predictions result in lowering of fear and apprehension of the unknown.
- Cold reading : Fortune tellers are often good mind readers and tell people what they wish to hear dispelling their anxiety and inducing happiness.
- Predictions are an amusing diversion from the daily hustle and bustle of life.
- Guesswork on the part of the teller, based on incomplete shards of information helps in quelling one’s deepest fears so that a heavy burden is lifted. A person returns from a reading in a relaxed state of mind.
- Self-fulfilling prophesy : A person may modify his future course of action keeping his prediction in mind. It may come true as a result of his altered actions.
- When an individual divines for himself, it is a way of organizing his own chain of thought.
A person with a strong belief and one who works with conviction can avoid being absorbed into the vicious circle of fortune telling.
It has its advantages which include reduction of anxiety levels if nothing else. A major flip side to this coin is that it may induce acute depression if the predictions are unexpected.