Subjective Validation

Austin Cline has posted on the problem of seeing patterns and connections that aren't really there, so-called Subjective Validation.

As a former Catholic, this blogger can say that the phenomenon of praying to St. Anthony when looking for something that is lost falls into this category of false thinking. This blogger believed that it was due to the effect of this prayer that items that were lost were then found. Many, of not most, of my Catholic friends still strongly believe in the St. Anthony prayer. By the way, if you think that is crazy, how about burying a statue of St. Joseph upside down in the back yard to help to sell a house!!