Idiotion

As a child I’d hear the expression ‘Far East’. To me that was just over a mile away, over the horizon where the sun rose. It was definitely east, and far away from me. That’s at least as logical as many of the things we believe as adults.

Ever since Oprah recommended The Secret, I’ve been reading complaints. I have no intention of reading the book. Ever since an afternoon in Idaho, watching the remarkable Ms Winfrey urge me to “Get in touch with my spirit”, I’ve been leery of her ability to manipulate her target audience. Instead, I’ll point you at a review by someone with the fortitude to read the book.

The Secret is a motivational book. It can inspire you to set goals, and to visualize the life you’d like to lead. A lot of its techniques are time-tested psychological tricks to help keep you motivated. I like this.

The book loses me, though, when it claims that the Law of Attraction is a “universal law” such as the law of gravity. The Secret attempts to combine Christianity (Jesus followed the Law of Attraction, don’t you know?), quantum physics, and more in an effort to convince readers that our minds are some sort of universal force governed by frequencies and wavelengths and so on. This is bullshit of the highest order, and it makes me angry. To quote Han Solo, “There’s no mystical energy field that controls my destiny.”

Despite the harsh words, positive thinking isn’t dissed. My take is that if you believe in your goals, then you’ll be more open to the opportunities for success.

Think stupid thoughts: entertain the world.

We’re not the only ones obsessed with stupid ideas. If you’re interested in thinking for yourself try reading 5 Ways to Develop Independent Thought, a guest post by Tom O’Leary at Pick The Brain.

Logically, when we think like everyone else is thinking, the best we can expect is to achieve what they’re already achieving. If our aim is to over-achieve, we need to avoid the same banal influences and think impossibly. We need to become independent from conventional wisdom.

More often than not, conventional wisdom is right, or at least a good idea. Millennia of philosophy and religion has generated some great insight into life. But often is not the same as always, and the more conformist the society in which you live, the more difference a good idea can make. And unfortunately, you can’t always tell the difference between a good idea and a stinker. Take a chance!