The number 13 is widely considered unlucky in many Western cultures, but have you ever stopped to wonder why? It might seem strange to harbor negative feelings towards a simple number. Imagine if you felt uneasy about traveling on the 22nd of any month, or if you insisted your apartment building skip the 22nd floor. Most people would find this peculiar, as fearing the number 22 is not a common superstition. Yet, when it comes to the number 13, millions of people share a similar, deeply ingrained aversion.
In the United States alone, a significant portion of the population – over 40 million Americans – admit to feeling uneasy about staying on the 13th floor of a hotel. This widespread superstition is so impactful that the Otis Elevator Company reports that for every building that actually numbers a floor as “13,” six others avoid doing so altogether, jumping straight from the 12th to the 14th floor. Furthermore, many people in Western countries adjust their behavior on Friday the 13th, a day doubly associated with bad luck. While unfortunate events can happen on any day, including Friday the 13th, there’s no statistical evidence to suggest they occur more frequently on this particular date.
Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” mural in Milan, depicting Jesus with his twelve disciples, a scene often linked to the number 13’s unlucky connotations.
As a sociologist specializing in social psychology, I find this widespread aversion to 13 fascinating. Individual fears and obsessions are one thing, but the collective adoption of a misconception to such a degree that it influences behavior on a societal level is a powerful example of social phenomena at play. So, where did this superstition originate, and why has it persisted?
Tracing the Origins of Triskaidekaphobia
The fear of the number 13, known as “triskaidekaphobia,” has roots that are not entirely clear, shrouded in speculation and historical interpretations. One plausible explanation for its negative reputation is its position following the number 12, which is often associated with completeness and perfection. Joe Nickell, a researcher of paranormal claims at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, highlights the symbolic significance of 12 across various cultures. It represents the months of the year, the Olympian gods, the signs of the zodiac, and the twelve apostles of Jesus. In this context, 13 can be seen as disrupting this sense of wholeness, an unwelcome addition that throws off the balance.
Another theory links the unlucky nature of 13 to certain infamous gatherings in mythology and religious narratives. In Norse mythology, Loki, the trickster god, is said to have been the 13th guest to arrive at a feast in Valhalla. His arrival led to chaos and ultimately, the death of the beloved god Baldur. Similarly, in Christian tradition, Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, is identified as the 13th guest at the Last Supper. These stories, while not definitive origins, contribute to the narrative associating 13 with negative outcomes and betrayal.
However, it’s important to recognize that the concept of bad luck can be culturally assigned to virtually any number. Social and cultural processes can easily imbue a number with negative connotations if the circumstances are right. Like a rumor that gains momentum, a superstition can take hold and spread through a society, solidifying into an accepted, albeit unfounded, belief.
For example, in Japan, the number 9 is considered unlucky, primarily because its pronunciation is similar to the Japanese word for “suffering.” In Italy, it’s the number 17 that carries a similar misfortune. In China, the number 4, pronounced similarly to “death,” is actively avoided in daily life to an even greater extent than 13 in Western cultures. People in China may even pay extra to avoid the number 4 in phone numbers. Conversely, while 666 is associated with evil in some Christian traditions (hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia being the fear of 666), it’s considered lucky in China. These examples illustrate that numerical superstitions are culturally specific and not inherently tied to any intrinsic property of the numbers themselves.
Psychological and Social Factors Contributing to the Fear of 13
The persistence of the superstition surrounding 13 can be further understood through social and psychological lenses. Phobias, including specific phobias related to numbers, can arise from various psychological factors. Direct negative experiences, such as being stung by a bee and developing a fear of bees, are one way phobias can develop. Other risk factors include youth, family history of phobias, a sensitive personality, and exposure to others’ fears.
In the case of 13, part of its negative aura might stem from a sense of unfamiliarity or what psychologists term a “felt sense of anomaly.” In daily life, we encounter 13 less frequently than 12. There isn’t a 13th month, a 13-inch ruler is uncommon, and we don’t have a 13 o’clock hour. While unfamiliarity alone doesn’t cause a phobia, psychological research indicates that humans tend to favor the familiar and distrust the unfamiliar. This predisposition can make it easier for negative associations to attach themselves to the number 13.
Furthermore, the human tendency towards confirmation bias plays a role. Similar to the debunked belief in “full moon effects” on behavior, people often seek to confirm pre-existing beliefs, even when those beliefs are unfounded. If someone already believes 13 is unlucky, they are more likely to notice and remember instances where something negative happens on the 13th of the month, or involving the number 13, reinforcing their superstition. A car accident on Friday the 13th, for example, might be perceived as more significant and memorable than an accident on any other day, solidifying the belief in the unlucky nature of the date. Once these beliefs take hold, they become remarkably resistant to change.
Social influence is another powerful factor in perpetuating the 13 superstition. Superstitions, including the fear of 13, walking under ladders, or knocking on wood, can be seen as social memes – ideas or pieces of information that spread and replicate within a culture. The term “meme,” popularized by biologist Richard Dawkins, describes how concepts and beliefs can disseminate through a population, evolving and adapting as they are communicated. The idea of 13 being unlucky is a simple meme that resonates with people due to the psychological and historical reasons mentioned earlier. Once adopted, this belief can provide a sense of control over perceived misfortune, as individuals may engage in avoidance behaviors related to the number 13 to mitigate potential “bad luck.”
The Real-World Impact of a False Belief
Even though the superstition surrounding 13 is based on unfounded beliefs, it has tangible consequences in the real world. Public relations and marketing entities often acknowledge and cater to popular superstitions. NASA, for instance, after the near-disaster of the Apollo 13 mission, ceased sequentially numbering space shuttle missions, renaming the 13th flight STS-41-G. Brussels Airlines, responding to passenger concerns, redesigned its logo in 2006, adding a 14th dot to its original 13-dot design. Many airlines, reflecting widespread triskaidekaphobia, also omit row 13 from their airplane seating charts.
Many hotels, like this one, choose to omit the 13th floor from their elevator numbering due to widespread superstition.
While these accommodations might seem harmless, it’s crucial to recognize that legitimizing false beliefs can be detrimental. The same psychological mechanisms that fuel the fear of 13 can also underpin more harmful superstitions, such as those exploited by health fraud schemes. It would be more beneficial for influential organizations, and society as a whole, to educate the public about the nature of superstition and the importance of critical thinking, rather than reinforcing baseless fears. Understanding the origins and psychological underpinnings of the 13 superstition allows us to see it for what it is: a fascinating example of how cultural beliefs can shape our perceptions and behaviors, even in the absence of any factual basis.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.
