Opinion | Superstition or fact? What Chinese zodiac predictions really tell us
- Don’t take zodiac predictions literally or dismiss them out of hand. If we can understand the deeper message, we have the chance of a happier life
Some take these predictions seriously, carrying out all the steps instructed by the feng shui masters. Others may dismiss the predictions as superstition, reading them purely for amusement, if at all. Neither way is best. The former misses the real message of the predictions while the latter misses an opportunity for a happier life.
If you are confused, please hear me out. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who once said no man ever steps in the same river twice, taught that all things are in flux. So do Chinese zodiac predictions.
No zodiac sign has the upper hand in everything or forever. One year may see those born in the Year of the Monkey enjoying career advancements, the next year it may those of the Year of the Snake. It may be great for Rabbits one year, for Rats another. Equally, no zodiac sign connotes constant misfortune.
The belief in universal flux underpins another belief that runs deep in Chinese history: we all have a chance at success.
China’s feudal system collapsed more than 2,000 years ago with the abolishing of hereditary regional lords and masters, allowing commoners to become generals and state ministers. The only hereditary ruler left was the emperor – but even this could change. And nobodies could start new dynasties. The first such “nobody” founded the Han dynasty. His uprising upended a long tradition of rule by hereditary nobles.
