Crutches

Once upon a time, if you were not too caught up with the burden of academic life, you may have dreamt of the ideal world liberated by science. In that world, there would be no superstition, no conviction, no dogma. Humanity would be free from fear and conflict and would have entered a golden age, an age of progressiveness.

Well not so in real life. There's a reason why we call dreams dreams.

Never did I think that I'd be sharing photos from STOMP but this can hardly be ignored. Apparently, some students in a local university have resorted to praying to a bell curve god (BCG) to help them tide through exams. Of course this isn't really a joke as some have made out. If you spend about $20-$30 buying candles and tidbits for the BCG, if you bother to write a note on your room cursing those who don't follow your practice, then you are getting quite serious there.

So yea, I myself have my spiritual beliefs too. I'm not entirely the "rational man" either. But this article was surprising because I've often thought that Singapore was becoming more and more secular, especially among the younger generation.

In the medical circle, similar superstitions exist. On the day of a night call, no doctor will be caught dead eating a bun (bao), because you'd end up doing everything that night (bao ka liao). Instead, they'll try to eat steamed dumplings (shui jiao), so that they can have a good sleep (shui jiao)

These are not actions carried out by village idiots who've never heard of the 21st century. These are undergraduates and doctors, who have achieved much academically to be where they are.

To cure superstition, is education the cure? Apparently not. Then what is? My first suggestion would be the removal of fear. Not the trivial types like fear of the dark or of insects, but the fear of failure, of oblivion, of poverty. But as you know, that is nearly impossible.

Secondly, it would be the removal of greed and desire. From the desire to have a comfortable night's sleep to the desire to trump the bell curve. But as you know, that is impossible.

Every human being, no matter how intelligent or knowledgeable, has a dark side that cannot come to terms with this frightening entity known as the unknown. Each human being has their own way of filling up this gaping hole in their soul. The notion of human beings becoming truly rational can thus never, never, never take place.