Superstitions and Misguided Notions

Superstitions. Folklore. Wives' Tales. Call them what you will. Misguided notions have an uncanny ability to alter behavior, despite better wisdom. When confronted with the facts we’re reminded of their absurdity, but still we blindly hold on to these so called rituals -- such as the idea that “you must use the UL Mark”.

Learn the origins behind some common superstitions and testing & certification folklore.

Kids who play with toads get warts

Perhaps your mother told you this to keep toads out of the house. But popular science speculates that this myth stems from the poison excreted by glands located on the backs of some species of toad. People who develop an allergic reaction to the secretions from these glands may get bumps that look like warts

You must use the UL Listed mark for your product

Believed by manufacturers, inspectors and officials for years, this misguided notion has lost its steam. According to OSHA, a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) is needed to test electrical products before selling them in the U.S. and Canada. Although many manufacturers knew this requirement, pressures from buyers deterred them from choosing other testing houses and listed marks.

Today manufacturers are faced with tighter deadlines and cost efficiency plans. More and more manufacturers are choosing testing organizations and Listed marks based on shorter timeframes, gained efficiencies, and testing experience. In the months and years to come, many believe and see a trend that other marks such as the ETL Listed Mark will be seen as much as the UL Listed Mark.

>> See past the misguided notion and onto the possibilities of the ETL Mark.

The Boogey Man is going to get you

The boogey man is said to be a ghost-like monster that children often believe is real, but has no specific appearance. As a means of controlling their children, parents sometimes encourage belief in a boogey man that only preys on children who misbehave. The term 'boogey man' is also used metaphorically to characterize a person or thing of which someone else has an irrational fear.

You must use UL because they write the standards

Some standards begin with UL or ANSI/UL, hence some believe that is the testing organization one must use for testing to those standards. As more and more manufacturers are educated on the standards-writing and testing process, they learn that standards are written by standards writing committees and tests are conducted by independent testing agencies. Many testing agencies participate on standards-writing committees, but they must maintain their independence by not influencing the standards in any way.

With pressures of cost and time permeating every industry today, many manufacturers have used organizations outside of UL. They have discovered that testing is conducted according to a procedure with no affiliation to the standard name. Incidentally, these manufacturers have also found quicker service with time and cost savings.

>> See past the misguided notion and onto the possibilities of the ETL Mark.

If a black cat crosses your path, you will have bad luck

Christians used to try to convince non-Christians that black cats were demons in disguise and should thus be destroyed. Being demons, a black cat crossing your path would create a barrier of evil, then cutting you off from God and blocking the entrance to heaven.

Step on a crack, break your mother’s back

The most popular reference for this superstition begins in the mid-20th century. At the time it was common to tell children that if they stepped on the cracks in the street, they would be eaten by the bears that congregate on street corners waiting for their lunch to walk by. Over time, the superstition evolved to the rhyme “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.”

Don't put the hat on the bed

While a bit unclear of its exact origin, it seems the expression comes from a time when people believed that evil spirits lived in the hair. This misguided notion was likely fueled from the static electricity that would discharge in the air when taking a hat off in a warm, dry environment. So goes the superstition, don’t lay your hat where you’re going to lay your head because evil spirits spill out from hats. Of course this doesn’t make much sense. But then again, superstitions seldom do. Another twist on this misguided notion is one of sanitary origins. Keeping the hat off from the bed also meant keeping lice from infesting the hat or the bed.

Walking under a ladder is bad luck

This belief originally references the triangle formed by a ladder leaning against a wall (floor, ladder and side of a wall create the triangle). Triangles represent the Holy Trinity in Christianity, and it was believed that violating the Trinity by breaking it (walking through it) would put one in a league with the devil himself. Hence the bad luck.

13 is an unlucky number

The Scandinavians believed that the number 13 was unlucky due to the mythological 12 demigods being joined by a 13th, who brought misfortune upon humans.

From a Christianity perspective, it was believed that the number of guests at the party of the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest being Judas, the traitor. Despite modern wisdom, the beliefs of triskaidekaphobes -- those who have an irrational fear of the number 13 -- guide behavior, even today. Case in point, the majority of high rises do not have a 13th floor and many hospitals and hotels do not have a room number 13.

Starve a fever, feed a cold

This theory is based on the mistaken belief that eating food creates heat in the body. The thought is, if you have caught a chill, you need to create heat; but if you have a fever, you need to remove heat from the body. In actuality, when your body is fighting infection, it needs plenty of nutrients, fluids, and rest. If you don’t eat, your body will not have the energy it needs to fight back.