Tempting Fate - The fear that celebrating good fortune invites attention from malevolent spirits
The injunction against tempting fate by drawing attention to one's current or future good fortune is probably the most common superstition in the world and the only one that the Hoole Intelligence Report endorses without reservation.
The common bit of wisdom "don't count your chickens before they hatch" speaks to the same problem. Reversals can happen any time, but they'll surely be made worse by planning or worse, gloating based on uncertain developments. Superstition goes further, finding a causal relationship between presumption and the reversal of fortune. Stating "I haven't had a cold in years," for example, would surely increase the chances that your surety will be rewarded with sniffles and a head ache. Better to keep your good health private.
Hubris, which draws on the notion of tempting fate, illustrates the part arrogance can play in the problem. It is the human offense of usurping priveleges due only to the gods. It was a criminal act in ancient Greece. A person guilty of hubris parades his arrogance for all to see, which intuitively makes it seem not only just but likely that he will be punished by fate. The rule is that the less care a person takes to hide arrogance and presumption, the bigger the target for supernatural retribution.
When I was a roofer, it was believed that on a rainy day, if it lets up, taking off your raingear (which is a time-consuming process) will bring back the rain. Somebody always eventually shed their raingear and they were always blamed when the rain returned. It was widely held in the past that bring a cradle or pram into a house to prepare for a baby yet to be born is bad luck. Parents-to-be can glory in their future with the new member of their family, but quietly, unassumingly.
Abstinence is the only sure way to avoid the negative reprocussions of tempting fate -- best not to speak about uncertain events at all. But because tempting fate is an irresistable human urge, traditional prophylaxes have sprung up everywhere. Here are the most common:
Give the gods their due - Muslims side-step the problem by ritualistically placing the future in God's hands. When a Muslim makes a statement about the future, they always give a nod to it's provisional nature by adding "insh'Allah" (if God wills it) at the end.
Hide that shit - Saying "break a leg" to a performer instead of "good luck" or "gee, I hope you do really well out there" guards against malevolent forces by disguising the intention. Whatever the context, dressing presumption up in modest clothes is a good idea for social and superstitious reasons.
Apologize - OK, so you messed up -- it's not the end of the world. There's a million little ritual ways of apologizing to the bogey man or whatever -- he (or she, or they, or it) is widely held to be reasonable. Crossing yourself or spitting are possibilities, but if you're not a Catholic or are indoors, they might not work for you. I personally recommend good old fashion knocking-on-wood after an offense. The most important thing is to clearly acknowledge the error by compensating with some ritual act.
Out of respect for the supernatural unknown or just a good measure of common sense, the Hoole Intellegence Report recommends that it's readers steer away from tempting fate.
