Polls consistently show that a large percentage of Americans- up to 48%- say that they believe in astrology (http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/skepticism/blfaq_astro_index.htm). The actual figure could even be higher, as you can imagine that many people might be ashamed to admit such a silly belief.
When we live in an era where so much about our universe is understood by science, why do so many people continue believe in something from the dark ages?
Thanks.
One factor may be the sorry state of science education in American schools. People aren’t taught critical thinking, which would help anyone see the absurdity of astrology, as long as they had the basic facts of the distances to the stars, etc. They media also reinforces belief in pseudoscience, with stories about “unexplained phenomena” and an almost total lack of science programming on network TV (except public television).
I also think that many people say they believe in it but in actuality don’t take it very seriously. They read their horoscopes for a laugh and seldom change their actions because of what is “predicted”.
I wonder if hearing about celebrities’ reliance on astrologers (e.g. Ronald and Nancy Reagan) could have any effect.
Hey, if you can’t have faith that huge balls of flaming gas millions of miles away in space have a direct bearing on your day-to-day affairs, what CAN you have faith in?
I think it’s a combination of several things:
Lack of understanding by the public at large about critical thinking, statistics, or just plain chicanery.
A bizarre notion that astrology has been proven to have “Something to it”. I’m often hearing people say something to this effect: “Well there are all these studies that show there’s something there.” Nobody can cite any of these studies, of course, but they all know they exist.
They don’t. They say they do if you ask them, but they don’t really. That is, they don’t base decisions on astrologers. There’s a big difference between asking someone if they think astrology may be real and asking them if they base personal decisions on astrology. The latter group is existant, but I imagine is not nearly as large as the former. Ask people if they believe in God and they’ll tell you yes, even if few of them act as though they do.
People tend to remember the times their vague horoscope was kind of right, but they tend to forget when it’s kind of wrong.
A year or so ago, a buddy of mine and I went out for chinese for lunch. His fortune cookie said “You will be getting some unexpected money” or something like that. There were layoff rumors in the air, and he joked “Yeah, my severence package!” Well, he was one of the many who got laid off.
I remember this fortune very well, but I can’t remember a single other one. And we went out for chinese a LOT. The coincidental positives simply stand out more.
What Revtim said. This is also how people like John Edward work. A lot of misses that nobody remembers and a few lucky hits that stick in people’s minds.
I don’t deny that what Revtim said happens, but how many people do you know who would SAY they believe in astrology and yet even read their horoscope on a daily basis? I’m willing to bet that a big chunk of those who will answer they believe in a poll don’t actually do anything based on that alleged belief. They’re “lapsed astrologists”, if you will.
Well, horoscopes are in the newspaper every day, and newspapers wouldn’t lie to us, would they?
Nancy Reagan used an astrologer, and she is a successful lady, isn’t she?
On a more serious note, people want to have control over their lives and know what is going to happen and have something to blame if things go wrong. Astrology is perfect for that. The generalized, could apply to anyone sort of predictions excuse all failures because the real cause is in the stars, and reward all good traits. What surprises me is that the professional astrolger I know (and the semi-pro) actually believe this stuff (not interfering with their Episcopalian tendencies), and don’t think it is a scam.
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Because they’re stupid monkeys and they don’t know any better.
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I would like to say something positive about belief in astrology.
Sort of.
Of course it’s ridiculous, and the sorry state of science literacy (and logically thinking) has a lot to do with it, but you also have to consider:
People are pattern seeking creatures. This is not a bad thing. Pattern seeking has worked out pretty well for us. Unfortunatly it causes us to see patterns where there aren’t any. Still, that’s how we’re wired.
People like poetic metaphors. I don’t belive a word of it but I still enjoy being Chiron the Centuar. Half beast, half intellectual. And there’s a cool story that goes with it envolving Prometheus. Plus the whole (zen) archer thing. Ooh, I love a good metaphor :).
People want to feel some control over their lives. It’s a bitch being able to think about the future. It’s scary. And even the most rational people tend to come up with some mental defense against the scary randomness of things.
None of which is me excusing people buying something as stupid as astrology when we’re way past knowing better. Me, when I make up my own patterns and defenses against the scary randomness, I call it “art” not “reality”.
I’m just saying the reason it persists has a lot to do with the way are brains are built. And not because we’re built defective.
Astrology, religion…same thing. Far fetched stuff that people convince themselves to be truth.
Someone please explain to me how having your destiny pre-written in the stars gives you “control”.
OK, it’s a virgo! Induce that baby!
Well, I just mean people read their horoscope so they feel like that have advanced information. And it’s not all completely random. And a lot of people are more comfortable with no free will than with no meaning.
Maybe I should say they want to feel their life is at least in the control of SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE.
I didn’t say it made sense.
Redgarding Legomancer’s “lapsed astrologers:” A lot of people pride themselves on being “open-minded,” and would have responded postiively to the question because they don’t consider themselves the kind of a of hard-nosed skeptic who would completely rule out something like astrology.
As if that’s a bad thing to be. 
These devices we use to gain some sort of objective “outer” direction to our lives to make decisions, IMO, have validity in that they fool the person reading into objectively looking at themselves. A vague reading or horroscope is just vague enough to people to fill in the holes and actually perhaps make decisions. People will say OMG that = that! Then they will sit there and ponder what could possibly go wrong or right in that direction. They give people a “window” (more a platform to stand on) and see the real truths about their lives. Sort of like a self-psychotherapy session. There’s no voodoo or supernatural involved, but it can be fun and maybe even useful to fool yourself into beleiving there’s some sort of power making these things happen.
Thats just my colloquial, unscholarly opinion though - I have no cites.
You know, I am confused about what it means to “believe in” something. What behaviors constitute “belief in” astrology? Do I “believe in” astrology because I tell people I’m the quintessential Cancer?
How can you say this and then mock it in the same breath? Astrology can add symbolism to your life, and that’s valid enough. I don’t see that it’s worthy of derision.
I used to draw up people’s birth charts, but I never made a decision based on astrology or planned events around it, it was just fun.
Still, to those of you who base major decisions and make plans based only on the tangible, the rational, and the scientifically reproducible, I have to ask: How’s that working out for you? Are all your decisions the right ones? Do your plans never go awry? By what authority do you judge that things go better for you than for astrology-believers as a result of your more logical worldview?
I don’t understand why people think a weak education in science would make people more likely to believe in astrology. Things like astrology are as impossible to disprove as they are to prove.
'Cause I’m always sleepy just after a big lunch.
No it’s not. It’s quite simple to disprove: compare the personality traits ascribed by an astrologer to a person they haven’t met to data adduced by interviewing or questioning said person. Repeat over a statistically significant sample of astrologers and interview subjects.
The Master speaks:
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