Lucky Numbers

Some people like to consult books that give importance to birthdates. The day of the week has special significance. So does the number of the month and the year. You can also assign a number to each letter in your name and then add them up to get a master number for your name. These are the basic premises of numerology. Numerology is a pseudoscience that claims to reveal things about our lives and to foretell events by assigning special significance to numbers. Different numbers or patterns of numbers are thought to influence physical events in different ways.

You can get numerological readings similar to astrological readings. Your birthdate and full name can supposedly tell you when to marry, when to invest, what profession you should choose, when to travel, etc. I often ask people who are into astrology and numerology how closely they monitor their lives with these things. I mean, if astrology and numerology profess to show us how we should live, then people should follow their readings as closely as possible. If you are an accountant but your reading tells you that you should be an artist, then you should change professions if numerology is correct. But it’s not that easy. That’s not reality. People don’t base major life decisions on patterns of numbers. It doesn’t make sense.

What is it about numerology that makes people want to believe in it? Well, it’s a combination of things. People want to make sense out of a seemingly chaotic universe. Randomness makes us uncomfortable. We want to believe that everything happens for a reason and that we have control over what happens to us. At the same time, we don’t want to be responsible for our actions and behaviors. If we follow numerology, then we don’t have to be accountable for the things that have gone wrong in our lives.

The problem is that people are selective in how they follow things like numerology and astrology. We can sometimes make readings “come true” through changing our actions. This is called the self-fulfilling prophecy. If the numbers predict a good outcome and it happens, then we can attribute our good fortune to numerology. On the other hand, if something bad happens, then we tell ourselves that we didn’t believe hard enough or that the cosmos are out to get us. This is the same as blaming the victim. Belief has nothing to do with whether an outcome is positive or negative. Belief can keep us motivated and give us comfort but it in no way determines how things will turn out. That’s just a fact of life.

A better course of action is for us to take ownership of our lives. This means owning our disappointments as well as our successes. When we live without the yoke of things like astrology and numerology, we truly become free. We can live for ourselves instead of based on how a book of numbers or star charts says we should. We can use our free will to make our choices instead of relinquishing it to people and books who profess to tell us how to live our lives. I’d rather do that then think everything good in my life was caused by patterns of numbers.