“Over 2300 years ago, the Babylonians came up with the idea that the gods lived among the stars and other celestial objects, and were able to impose their will on humanity by controlling the destinies of individuals and nations alike.”
Horoscopes. They intrigue us, they excite us and give us something to do. If you’re anything like me, you spend a wee too much time online researching your zodiac sign for the week. But what is to say that what you’re reading is entirely accurate? Of course there are those freaky times when your horoscope is spot on. This makes us wonder: is it truly fate, or just a cool coincidence? Research seems to point toward the latter. Here are some reasons to stop getting sucked into the horoscope craze.
In 1948, psychologist Bertram Forer conducted an experiment using astrology columns from various magazines. He then distributed the magazines to his students, telling them that they were each receiving their own personalized assessment. However, he was actually giving each student the same exact assessment. The results showed that 86% of the students thought the assessment was accurate, and spoke to their characteristics. The experiment has been repeated over the years, with each time, the same results reproduced. This tendency has been noted as the Forer effect. So why does this work, and how does it apply to the horoscopes we read online today?
Often, the horoscopes we read are so generic, that they can relate to everyone. “You sometimes find yourself overthinking.” Who doesn’t? Even when the exact scenario presented doesn’t exactly apply to your life, we accept whatever does and filter out the other parts. These horoscopes shouldn’t define us. Sure they can be amusing to read, but they can also give us a false sense of what our lives should be. Even if there is some evidence out there proving the accuracy of horoscopes, no two people are the same. Sure, maybe all of the Geminis out there are talkative and silly at times. But are they all from Long Island, and do they all attend Bucknell University, and have two dogs, and an awful sweet-tooth? If this were the case, then every Gemini would be a Lexi.