The God Complex

Everyone seems to have a god ...

It might not quite be the god that everyone expects them to have but gods seem to run all the way through our societies. There's the famous ones, like Allah, the Christian God, Hindu gods and all of the other major faiths (names given in alphabetical order!). We'll try and keep those big gods happy but the ones that seem to really matter are based on superstition ...

Things like the grand prix people offering up a prayer to the Weather Gods in hope that the region of very wet weather going past the Spa-Francorchamps circuit at the moment will miss the circuit. There's also sporting gods which people make observances to. Things like putting the right cricket glove on before the left, even though the padding makes that the more difficult way. There's the Luck Gods that people look to when they breathe on the dice before offering a private prayer of "double six!"

All those little superstitious routines, why do we do them ? It's a belief that some higher (supernatural) power is keeping an eye on what's going on and will push events one way or the other depending on their whim. One of the Ten Commandments specifically prohibits Christians from recognising other gods but they'll still use phrases like "Sporting God" or "Weather God". Very curious :-)

As for me, I follow a code that's very similar to the major code of ethics that the Christians and Moslems are supposed to follow. I just don't believe in the deity at the top. I do believe very heavily in luck and fate though - the phrase "Don't Tempt Fate" seems to ring the truest of any uttering that deals with Faith.

What does that mean though ? I've been on a few Karting events, where I know I'm quick. However, in the banter leading up to it I've always been very cagey on what I'm likely to do. Boasting of thrashing everyone else is just setting yourself up for a fall. Confidence is healthy but overconfidence stops you thinking clearly about actually getting up and performing. Plus if you abuse Karma and Luck, then you're probably going to set yourself up for some extraordinary event that will set you backwards.

It's things like building up a return to the cricketing action and then seeing it rain solid for three days. Before turning into bright sunshine on the afternoon before the game. Or saying we're going to lap everyone in the karting race and then getting a poorly kart in the random pick. Fate is a very fickle Lady, sometimes I think that we're all here as a plaything for the gods that look after luck. After all, what were the chances of us evolving into what we are now ? It's an extraordinary chain of luck to get all those genes in the right place but I think it's worked out ok.

Hmm - I think that's enough philosophy for one day. Time to climb back out of the hole I just dug :-) And to get back to the Grand Prix where most of the team bosses are praying to the Rain Gods to help things equalise with the front runners.

PS Lewis Hamilton yesterday : "not planning on letting anyone past today"
Lewis Hamilton today - gets over taken at the start of the second lap due to an inexplicable mistake. That's Karma biting ...