Miguel: (sitting in a café, resting his chin on his hand while scrolling on his phone)
Arnel: Hoy, Miguel! Don’t do that!
Miguel: Do what?
Arnel: That! Resting your chin on your hand. Don’t you know the old saying? “If you do that, bad luck will come.”
Miguel: Bad luck? From leaning on my own face? Bro, I’m just tired, not summoning a curse.
Arnel: I’m serious! My lola always warned us. She said people who do that invite problems—money trouble, family issues, or unexpected accidents.
Miguel: By that logic, every student doing homework is a walking disaster. Half my college years were spent like this—chin on hand, eyes half-dead. The only bad luck I had was calculus.
Arnel: You joke now, but I swear I’ve seen it happen. My cousin used to sit like that all the time. Then suddenly he lost his job!
Miguel: And did he lose it because he rested his chin on his hand? Or did he lose it because he always arrived late and spent half the day watching PBA replays at his desk?
Arnel: Well… okay, he was a bit irresponsible, but still. My lola believed in it, and she was rarely wrong.
Miguel: I’m not saying your lola was wrong. Traditions usually came from something, just maybe not supernatural causes. For example, resting your chin might make you look sad or worried. Maybe older people thought it “attracted” bad luck because they associated the posture with low energy or laziness.
Arnel: So you’re saying it’s body language, not spiritual vibes?
Miguel: Exactly. If your boss sees you slumped like this, they might think you’re bored or unmotivated. That could lead to bad outcomes. But it’s not the universe punishing you—it’s just social perception.
Arnel: Hmmm. That kinda makes sense. But what about my neighbor? She told me she rested her chin on her hand and the next day her refrigerator broke.
Miguel: Arnel… your neighbor’s refrigerator is older than Jose Rizal. That thing had one foot in the grave years ago.
Arnel: True, true. It does make that “I’m dying” sound every morning.
Miguel: See? Coincidence. Humans are pattern-making machines. We connect unrelated things because it makes us feel more in control.
Arnel: Okay, but don’t you ever think there’s at least some truth to superstitions?
Miguel: Sure—sometimes indirectly. Like “don’t sweep the floor at night.” It doesn’t actually sweep away blessings, but it keeps you from accidentally throwing out something important in the dark. Superstitions sometimes give practical advice in dramatic packaging.
Arnel: So what’s the “practical advice” behind resting your chin on your hand?
Miguel: Hmm… maybe “don’t look too bored in public” or “don’t strain your wrist”? Or maybe “stop overthinking”? Honestly, it’s a stretch.
Arnel: But it still stresses me out seeing you do it.
Miguel: Okay, okay. For your peace of mind—only for that—I will now sit upright like a productive citizen of society. (raises his head dramatically)
Arnel: Thank you! See? Already looks less cursed.
Miguel: If I get bad luck today, I’ll blame you for interrupting my comfortable posture.
Arnel: And if something good happens, I’ll take full credit.
Miguel: Deal. But if my coffee spills for no reason, I’m telling everyone your lola cursed me.
Arnel: She probably would, honestly.
Science Vs Superstition 
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