posted on May, 1 2013 @ 05:31 PM
The curse of the 'evil eye' is a really prominent cultural factor where I live in the Middle East! It's a very widespread belief that you can be
cursed by someone who is jealous of you and that this will affect your health or luck in general in a very negative way! If you are successful or have
something that other people might desire, you are strongly encouraged to be modest and keep it to yourself! Even my husband, who is pretty matter of
fact in most ways, subscribes to the theory! If our children say / do something amazing, for example, he insists not to tell anyone and to keep it to
ourselves, or'be cursed!'. Personally, I don't think one person's bad feelings towards me, especially if they are not known to me, have the power
to affect me at all! Maybe I am wrong.....
The malls / markets etc are strewn with jewellry with the symbol of a small blue eye, which is protective, apparently. It wards off the evil eye. As
far as I can tell, blue eyes are pure and ward off the curse! lucky for me I have blue eyes! Not that it helps any!
I do acknowledge that here it is a very jealous culture, it's bred into people from a young age to be envious! I find it hard together my head around
this, as someone who is more than happy to admire another persons beauty or possessions and feel happy for them, not jealous! It's one thing I find
most tiresome in Arab culture - I guess all I an do is raise my own children To not have this trait! No good can come of it!