# Why Shouldn't A Baby See Its Reflection? Superstition Question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683 "2002-03-17T03:10:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/21 "2011-06-13T16:18:16Z")
> [@Waldelfe](#): > > And you’re not supposed to cut the hair, too so the stupidity can grow out. So that’s why teenagers let their hair grow long…! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/22 "2011-06-13T19:02:02Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > This was the reason I always heard why babies shouldn’t look in mirrors Yeah. Vanity makes more sense. It sounds like a lot of superstitions just got melded together over the years. ---
**Author:** ![ser\_olmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@ser\_olmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ser_olmy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/23 "2012-08-19T14:50:59Z")
i always believed that if a baby had stupid parents that believed in superstitions and reprimanded their child because the child liked itself the baby would grow up to be stupid like its parents and have low self esteem :smack: ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/24 "2012-08-19T17:34:30Z")
According to Lacan, [it will cause the baby to develop an ego, and become alienated from him/herself](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_stage). :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/25 "2012-08-19T17:56:36Z")
Where in the world did people get superstitions before black cats were domesticated, sidewalks crafted, and mirrors, umbrellas and ladders were invented? I understand why we were prone to look for trouble when we didn’t quite understand meteorlogical, geological, and astronomical events, but why do some manufacture trouble from simple man made objects? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/26 "2012-08-19T18:44:23Z")
OP didn’t say if his in-laws were Thai, but that superstition sounds familiar. I know babies here aren’t supposed to smell flowers. To admire a baby you call it “ugly” not “cute.” Tokay geckos are lucky if they sing out “tokay” seven or more times in a row, or if they live inside your house. We have both, but the inside tokays are smart enough not to attract attention by croaking “tokay.” I can’t even begin to keep track of all the superstitions (are dog litters lucky when even in number, and cats odd? Or is it vice versa?); fortunately foreigners are often exempt. One superstition easy to remmeber is: At a funeral you must pick up the incense sticks with your own hand, don’t let anyone hand them to you. If, at a funeral you receive the incense sticks from the hand of another that means: _ **You’re next!** _ :smack: (On more than one occasion I’ve explained this to a fellow foreigner and watched their jaw drop open – their wife had been handing them the incense sticks!) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/27 "2012-08-19T19:32:01Z")
double zombie or no you can’t let them see their reflection because they will cry. babies are very territorial. they are always reaching for stuff. gimme, gimme, gimme. if they see a rival for anything they will scram their heads off and not stop. you can’t hope to put them together until at least three years old and then they still are biting each other fighting for toys. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/28 "2012-08-19T19:51:48Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > How else are you supposed to see if the baby’s a vampire or not? Use garlic. The mirror thing is too dangerous in case your baby wouldn’t be a vampire. Its soul could stay inside the mirror insuring a prompt death. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683/29 "2012-08-19T19:57:13Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I know babies here aren’t supposed to smell flowers. To admire a baby you call it “ugly” not “cute.” Assuming that this Thai superstition is the same as what is found in many other cultures, the reason is that positive statements might attract the envious interest of malevolent spirits. Some cultures even go as far as giving children derogatory names until they’ve grown up a bit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-a-baby-see-its-reflection-superstition-question/98683.md?page=1)