Horoscopes

No, I don't necessarily believe that horoscopes are real. But they can be useful if you are just looking to spring your curiosity a little. I like reading them because they give me a general thing to look for or to see if it happened to me. It just makes my day a little better, as you said.

It helps me jump from my safety bubble a little bit.

 

The success of horoscopes is mostly due to a phenomena called the Forer Effect. I take them seriously in the sense that I believe that some people believe in them and that they can have an influence on how someone behaves during the rest of the day due to reading them. I don't believe that the specific date or time you are born has any effect on personality, as there is no reason to.

But yes, it makes sense that reading them may make you think about different things during the day or that you may notice different things or act differently based on them. Depending on what they say, they may in some ways be a healthy exercise.

 

it would also be because it is a version of cold reading that Psychic use for example this will apply to almost everyone
"Some of your aspirations tend to be pretty unrealistic. At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary and reserved. You have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. You pride yourself on being an independent thinker and do not accept others' opinions without satisfactory proof. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety, and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. Disciplined and controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside.

Your sexual adjustment has presented some problems for you. While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them. You have a great deal of unused capacity which you have not turned to your advantage. You have a tendency to be critical of yourself. You have a strong need for other people to like you and for them to admire you."

its basically just cold reading with out the responses

 

Before, but not anymore after reading some psychology books.
It's all about pseudoscientific belief and giving some generalized idea about people. Like traits and events that usually happens to us.

 

that would be a Barnum statements a statement that applies to every one like "there is an older person in your life and they have been having problems"
they also stereotype so if its in a magazine about teen age stuff the horoscopes would be aimed at that age groups and things that happen when most people are teenagers
there is a lot of stuff about it on these websites but its mainly about how psychics use it when they are doing readings
Learn Psychic Cold Reading
Cold reading - RationalWiki

 

When I was like 13, I used to take them seriously.
It freaking predicts what just happened in my day, for real. So it got me hooked up but I stopped believing it at the age of 14. But sometimes, I visit a horoscope website just to find something to read on.

 

Any of the descriptions will match you equally as well as the others, regardless of whether it is actually your star sign or not. In other words, they are just pulling things out of their arse and making it vague so it'll apply to everyone in some way or another.

A fun thing to do is go up to one of those watery-looking spiritualists, or whatever they call themselves, and tell them you're a Leo. They'll inevitably go off on a big speech about how they "could tell immediately that you're a Leo" and list off a bunch of things about you they picked up; once they've finished you can smugly tell them you lied and you're actually a Scorpio. Their sour expression is priceless.

 

Oh, they're a lot of fun to glance at from time to time, and now that I know about Barnum Statements and cofirmation bias and other such concepts I can use horoscopes as a learning tool for how people invoke or are affected by these, and how in fact I can be affected by them quite easily if I'm not careful.

 

I'm very ignorant with regard to human psychology. I may see common patterns, but I honestly cannot say that horoscopes are real or just popular pseudoscience. However, I do not believe divination is real.

I do agree that, because I understand prose and writing styles better than I do psychology, almost all the horoscopes one reads in the newspapers and magazines are intentionally vague so that it can be applied anywhere within one's regular day. It is impossible to accurately predict one's future. One can predict probable future events using mathematical probability and such, but one cannot trust someone with a word processor and a newspaper column.

With regards to personality, I'm not sure. I must still get around to doing more research. I just find it quite odd that a lot of my traits and the traits of my friends match our respective star signs.

 

One thing I've noticed about a horoscope is that I'm always a little embarrassed to read one. My inner skeptic just screams. So of course I go out of my way to read them as often as possible for that reason. I go out of my way to do one thing that embarrasses me every day at least. I really dread the day I take myself so seriously I can't read a newspaper horoscope.

One thing that they definitely are is a basically random point of view, and another thing they are is relatable. So in a sense they always "work" if what you're looking for is introspection or just a new way to think about what's going to happen today so you can make plans. It's just like rolling dice to make a decision. It introduces an element you can't control to keep you on your toes with your thinking.

 

I read them just for fun, but I don't believe them. They're vague and way too general, and even if they were accurate, they really aren't personal. Think about it, if there's 12 zodiac signs, and lets say there's a million people that are libras, for example, how would it be that a million people all have the same day. Either it's too general, or it's just a coincidence. And, also, it's not the fact that horoscope itself is true, it's the fact that the reader makes it true. If it says "Take control and get all your work done today, it will pay off" well that's obvious that if you do all your work it will pay off. Then if you read it, you think "oh.. what work do I have to do.." and then you'll finish the work and realize you have no more work, so then in that sense, the horoscope was accurate. It wasn't accurate because it was a prediction, it was accurate because a person took the time to make it happen.

 

Uh... I don't believe in them. I mean, I don't believe "today is gonna be a good day to find the love of your life" haha. I mean, I don't really take it serious. But I do believe in the characteristics of the sign. Like, I'm a scorpio, so, when I read the whole personality traits, it all describes me so well!
But daily horoscope? I don't even read... lol

 

I read mine when I have a newspaper, but than forget about it - I don't go out of my way to have my horoscope define my day. As for believing in horoscopes, I don't. Zodiac signs, however, I'm on the fence about. I find it hard to believe that your year of birth can predict your future personality, but after reading mine (I'm the monkey) I can see how it matches my current personality...so who knows.

 

I don't believe in them, but they're lots of fun to read when you've had a terrible, no good very bad day

 

I'm an Aquarius and I don't disbelieve in them. I figure they could be true, but I don't know. I see alot of truth from my sign that I just can't from the others. I'm no expert, but it does interest me. You could always try reading your prediction AFTER the day is done, right?

 

I'm a Virgo (in case anyone cares) But I've never been a spiritual person. Besides, they're always just so vague, the scenario's they give could happen anywhere and at any time.

 

I like reading them, and they sometimes are accurate, however I don't live my life by them! But they are entertaining

 

I'm a Leo but I relate much better to the cancerian personality so sometimes I look at the advice for cancers.

I just wish the star sign wasn't synonymous with a terrible illness. I can't read about cancers without thinking about it. :/

 

Yep. Once in awhile they hit bang on or give me encouragement. Although I think personally you'd need to see the full chart to get someone's personality accurate, it can point out a few things.

For example:
My Sun Sign is Pisces. Dreamer. Sympathetic (at times). Can become the martyr (I can set myself up for this, since I have a hard time saying no to the people I care about). Self-deceptive.
Moon Sign is Scorpio. I like to keep things private and have my personal affairs be none of your business.
Venus- Taurus. Likes to give gifts as well as receive them.

Just a bit of a ramble. Combining Zodiac, Chinese and even a bit of Numerology, it can give a at least somewhat accurate description. At least for me anyways.