[Setting: A sunny afternoon in Leipzig. Lena and Tom are walking through a cozy pedestrian alley lined with shops and cafés. A maintenance worker has propped a ladder against a wall to change a signboard overhead.]
Lena:
(stops abruptly)
Nope. Not going under that ladder. No way. That’s asking for bad luck.
Tom:
(laughs)
Seriously, Lena? You’re still dodging ladders like they’re cursed portals to bad luck?
Lena:
Don’t mock! Last time I walked under a ladder, I lost my wallet the same day. It’s not a coincidence.
Tom:
Okay, but do you remember how you “lost” your wallet? You left it on the counter at Rewe and walked out humming ABBA.
Lena:
That’s not the point! The timing is suspicious. Why do you think people have avoided walking under ladders for centuries? There must be something to it.
Tom:
Lena, people also used to think sneezing let demons in. Doesn’t mean it’s true. Traditions don’t always equal truth. Sometimes they’re just… leftovers from history.
Lena:
But still—wouldn’t you rather not risk it? What does it cost you to just walk around the ladder?
Tom:
Sure, I can walk around it. But what bothers me is why you believe in it. I mean, think about it: a ladder leans against a wall, forming a triangle. Back in the Middle Ages, that triangle was seen as a symbol of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Walking through it was seen as desecration. Hence, “bad luck.”
Lena:
So you do admit there’s history behind it!
Tom:
Yes, but historical belief doesn’t mean supernatural causality. People avoided ladders because of religious symbolism or safety—not because it brought actual bad luck.
Lena:
Well, I believe there are energies in the universe. Bad vibes. Like… if you tempt fate, it responds.
Tom:
You’re describing the universe like it’s a cranky aunt holding a grudge. (“Oh no, Lena walked under the ladder again, let me ruin her day!”)
Lena:
(grinning)
Maybe she is! Aunt Universe, punisher of the foolish.
Tom:
Okay, but by that logic, you’d never do anything risky. Yet you still microwave leftover schnitzel in aluminum foil. That’s tempting fate and your microwave.
Lena:
One time! And the kitchen didn’t even burn down.
Tom:
Exactly. Because luck—or misfortune—is usually just a mix of chance and our own decisions. If you drop your phone because you were texting while crossing the street, it’s not because of a ladder. It’s because you were multitasking like a maniac.
Lena:
Alright, Mr. Science, let me ask you this: Have you ever walked under a ladder and had nothing bad happen?
Tom:
Plenty of times. In fact, just last week outside my office. No disasters, no lost keys, no mysterious bird poop from above.
Lena:
You must be naturally lucky. Like, cosmically immune.
Tom:
Or maybe I just focus on causes and effects. And most “bad luck” is just normal life… sprinkled with forgetfulness and clumsiness.
Lena:
So you’re saying if I walk under that ladder right now, I’ll be fine?
Tom:
Statistically, yes. But also… if you’re really that nervous about it, maybe just don’t. It’s not about proving anything. It’s about whether a belief helps or hinders you.
Lena:
(pauses)
You know what? Let’s do it together.
Tom:
Really?
Lena:
Yeah. If I fall into a sewer afterwards, I’ll haunt you. But let’s go.
[They walk under the ladder together, slowly. A pigeon coos above. They make it through unscathed.]
Tom:
See? No piano fell on our heads. No plague. Not even a dramatic gust of wind.
Lena:
Hmm. I feel oddly… powerful. Like I just defeated a boss level in a superstition video game.
Tom:
Next level: Breaking a mirror without flinching.
Lena:
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mr. Engineer.
[They continue walking, laughing. Somewhere in the distance, a black cat crosses the street.]
Lena:
…Okay, I’m crossing over to the other side. Just in case.
Tom:
Baby steps, Lena. Baby steps.
Science Vs Superstition 
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