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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that anynoe who believes in star signs is a complete numpty?

678 replies

bettybosseye · 01/02/2011 18:52

I mean it's so clearly such a great stinking heap of horse shit, how can anyone actually believe it?
Another mum at playgroup today was telling me what kind of personality my 9 month old will have based solely on her star sign.
All pleasant enough stuff but she actually believed it.
What's wrong with people?

OP posts:
Psammead · 05/02/2011 21:37

Lamorna a lot of what you say makes sense. People go to see someone to get positive reinforcement and feel good about themselves, or to have repeated negative behaviour pointed out to them so they can self-improve. They can be inspired to explore new avenues by being told something about themselves which they never knew or which they had forgotten.

That's all great and I have no problem with people paying someone who is talented at reading others and who wont scare them into doing or thinking something that goes against the grain.

It's those big, far away rocks and balls of gas that worry me every time. Good at reading people and generally a good personality cheerleader - yes. Claiming that those rocks told them - no. I just don't see how it is in any way a scientific possibility for random alignments of random bits of space debris to have an effect on something so abstract as the personalities of one species on one little planet. My mind boggles at how.... egocentric the idea is.

Lamorna · 05/02/2011 22:09

I agree entirely Psammead, but I just tend to think -it works and leave it at that.

I do think it laughable that a woman is in high demand by highly successful companies and they are all supposed to be taken in by a charlatan. I have never know successful people pay out for something that doesn't work!

BuzzLightBeer · 05/02/2011 22:27

so why do successful british companies use graphology then, which has no basis in fact and is completely discredited? It doesn't work, so why do they do it?

Lets add that to the list of things you don't know. Like what are planets and how logic works.

Psammead · 05/02/2011 22:28

Well I suppose she just as good business sense. Or maybe more people will invest in them if they do this kind of stuff.

I think we will have to agree to disagree :)

Witchofthenorth · 05/02/2011 22:47

I still do not understand why this has caused such outrage and anger. I was under the impression that mums net was occupied by men and women from all walks of life who accepted that other people had views and beliefs different from their own.

Surely as "intelligent" men and women we can accept these differences without labelling others as moronic and stupid as I have been previously in this thread and to be honest find it very offensive, but I will get over it ( I must remember this is the AIBU board) I believe in a number of things which have no scientific basis, which many of you find to be absolute rubbish,and a lot of things that are backed up by science, but they make up, amongst other things, my belief system and nobody has the right to dismiss that. I would not dream of calling somebody stupid and moronic for either trusting in or believing in something that I did not, even if I did know it was absolute crap.

I rather enjoy a healthy and lively debate as much as the next person, but I must say that this thread has got progressively abrasive, aggressive and downright rude to other people.

No doubt I will be flamed for this post also but no matter, as I have previously said, I will get over it.

BuzzLightBeer · 05/02/2011 22:53

Nobody has the right to disagree with you and point out that the theories you are espousing are illogical and downright daft?
Not very robust beliefs than are they?

WE don't have to pretend that all beliefs are equal and applaud you for what you like to tell other people. I could honestly believe there are faries in the bottom of my garden and that the Dalai Lama is telling me to paint my face purple, doesn't mean you have to go along with it and say well done you.

mrscrocoduck · 05/02/2011 23:02

Brian cox is a disgrace.

Witchofthenorth · 05/02/2011 23:04

Ok

BuzzLightBeer · 05/02/2011 23:05

you're just jealous cos he has such lovely hair. And he's from Lancashire!

StuffingGoldBrass · 05/02/2011 23:06

Everybody has the right to disagree with you. And to laugh at you. Whether or not you're 'right'. (All you woo-peddlers are, of course, wrong, whether you're sincere but gullible or active con-artists).

Witchofthenorth · 05/02/2011 23:09

I don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me. People disagree with me all the time.

justonemorethen · 05/02/2011 23:25

My dad says winter calves have a very different temperament to those born in the spring. Think that might apply to people too. Also have noticed that alot of people on dating websites seem to be earth signs and not many are fire signs. Just saying.

BuzzLightBeer · 05/02/2011 23:27

do you not think its unbearably arrogant to assume yourself to be the centre of the universe and everything else functioning only to tell us whether you like sugar in your tea or not?

seeker · 05/02/2011 23:34

"
It is a useful tool for character traits. Recently seeker wrote about her DD being a sortof 'Chalet School' girl who volunteers for everything and her niece at the same school who goes to school and goes home. This would show up, I bet that seeker's DD has planets in fire and I bet her niece lacks planets in fire and probably has some in water."

lamorna - one of them was born on 21/12/95, and the other on 29/12/95. Could you tell which is which?

BeerTricksPotter · 05/02/2011 23:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Witchofthenorth · 05/02/2011 23:38

I don't assume to be the centre of the universe, I assumed that people could have a conversation/ debate/friendly argument without being derogatory to others.

Yet you insist that we should all agree that the topics covered are all woo woo and should be treated as such by all?

seeker · 05/02/2011 23:44

[grin]@beertrickz

BuzzLightBeer · 05/02/2011 23:44

I think you missed my point. If you believe in astrology you are unbearably arrogant.

There are lots of things one can debate in a friendly manner. However when you try and convince people that something so ridiculous illogical and un-scientific is real, you are inviting ridicule.

Witchofthenorth · 05/02/2011 23:56

Ok

Witchofthenorth · 06/02/2011 00:00

To be fair, I didn't try to convince anybody that any of it was real.

Never mind. It doesn't matter anymore.

StuffingGoldBrass · 06/02/2011 00:14

There is a big difference between respecting people's right to believe bullshit (which I do, so long as their bullshit beliefs don't lead to them misbehaving or bothering other people) and respecting the bullshit itself.

Appletrees · 06/02/2011 00:59

"I don't assume to be the centre of the universe, I assumed that people could have a conversation/ debate/friendly argument without being derogatory to others."

a sadly misplaced assumption on this subject I'm afraid witch

UnquietDad · 06/02/2011 01:01

mrscrocoduck, why is Brian Cox a "disgrace"? Confused Are you a D:Ream hater, or something? Or is it because he said astrology was bunk? If the latter, I'm baffled as to why he, as a scientist, would be expected by you to say anything else.

Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick and you just don't like his hair.

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2011 08:30

"so why do successful british companies use graphology then"

Not many people have even heard of "graphology", so presumably not a lot of companies (successful or otherwise) use it for anything.

If twenty companies use something out of tens of thousands, and if the vast majority of successful company does not use it - do you really think that whatever this graphology is had an important role in the success of those few?

CoteDAzur · 06/02/2011 08:31

Exactly what SGB said.