Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will.

- Frederick Douglass

While at a house party a few months back, a girl cornered me with a nice bottle of wine, and started telling me about ‘The Secret’ – a bestselling book and film . I sat and listened, sipping my wine, as the well-educated City financier explained the principles of universal attraction, without any sense of irony .

It was a treat. A true dissertation on the worst kind of magical thinking . Essentially, this chick (and many of her friends) believe that they are telekinetic, and can receive whatever they want just by hoping for it. Needless to say, i re-filled my glass and excused myself. I’d heard about voodoo before.

This ‘universal attraction’  idea is at the core of many belief systems and comforts people who feel powerless. Religion has made a business out of it. But in practice, it does not work.

If you’re falling out of an airplane, the law of gravity trumps the law of attraction.

- Vinny Verelli

In truth, the real goal of positive thinking is positive thinking. However, at some point, it always becomes clear that thinking alone is futile. In response, weak-willed people then say something like: ‘It wasn’t meant to be.’

One of the most famous legends around this relates to Muhammed, the founder of Islam, who replied to being asked to give proof of his teachings by ordering Mount Safa to come to him. When the mountain did not comply, Muhammed raised his hands toward heaven and said, ‘God is merciful. Had it obeyed my words, it would have fallen on us to our destruction. I will therefore go to the mountain and thank God that he has had mercy on a stiff-necked generation.’

If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad will go to the mountain.

- Francis Bacon

Such is life. The universe does not act on your behalf, and never will. You must take action, and be prepared for the pitfalls and opportunities that your positive thinking may have missed. To do this, your imagination must be informed, and your thoughts must consider alternative scenarios. In that way, you are aware of what is improbable. And you do not waste time and energy on the impossible. Ambition alone does not create success. This is the real secret.

The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.

- Carl Sagan

ps: If the legend is true, I suspect that from the moment that Muhammed knew that the mountain would not come to him, he used the remaining time spent looking skywards trying to figure out how he would achieve his real objective: retaining power. Western nations are doing the same thing right now, as they attempt to resuscitate the economy.

credit: kimonomania

One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. The bamboozle has captured us. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.

- Carl Sagan