Why do common superstitions persist across different cultures?

People keep superstitions because they feel like they help make things go better, just like a lucky charm in your pocket.

When something good happens right after you do a certain thing, it feels connected. Imagine you wear your favorite sock to school and then get an A on your test. You might think the sock helped, even though it’s just a coincidence! Over time, these small moments pile up, making people believe that doing the same thing again will bring the same good result.

Superstitions spread like stories. If you tell your friend about your lucky sock, and then both of you get As on your tests, it feels even more real! People pass these beliefs down from generation to generation, just like how your mom might have a special way of making pancakes, and now you do too. That’s why the same kind of superstitions show up in different places, even if they look a little different.