The Law of Attraction...

[TechHead87]

From wikipedia (yeah, I know..)

The Law of Attraction is a controversial theory commonly associated with New Age and New Thought theories. It posits that one should never dwell on the negative, as the "metaphysical principle of life" is embodied in a "law of attraction": "you get what you think about; your thoughts determine your destiny."

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought." - Buddha

http://www.squidoo.com/the-law-of-attraction-comprehensive-guide
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In a nutshell, the law of attraction says that everything that happens to you, good or bad, is controlled by your own personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. If you wanna be rich, you have to have positive feelings towards having money. If you want to be physically attractive, you have to have positive feelings towards being physically attractive.

Honestly, I think it's a bunch of bullshit. Here's why:

Mostly everything, if not EVERYTHING dealing with human life on earth is pre-determined. No matter how slick Donald Trump is in the business world, every asset he owns could all be gone in the span of a day if it's not meant for him to remain rich all of his life.

Some things are just not meant to be. Everybody is not going to die in a warm bed with their family by his/her side. Everybody is not going to have a nice wedding with friends/family attending. Everybody isn't going to have a $150K/year job. Everyone is not going to live happily ever after, no matter how positive your outlook on life is.

There are always going to be people who die alone. People are going to live to be 50 years young and not have a dime to give to their kids when they die. We are born to die, and everything that happens between birth and death is NOT decided by us. This 'law of attraction' is just another example of how man can be so arrogance to think that HE has control over his own destiny IMO...

What do you all think?

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Don't believe in pre-determination. Your argument fails unless you can explain how something is pre-determined and who/what is doing all this pre-determining? A giant space monkey on a type writer?

 

[dennilfloss]

The Law Of Attraction befits the Gravity Of The Situation.

(Whoa, just had a MoonBeam moment! )

 

[mercanucaribe]

I think he means that you can't avoid your circumstances by thinking happy thoughts.

 

[BlancoNino]

I honestly think you misinterpreted the law of attraction.

 

[dennilfloss]

But it seems you can grow a horn by thinking horny thoughts.

 

[Flyback]

Bull that it happens magically and just by positive thought.

True that you can make -most- things that you want happen (be rich, with enough time and energy invested). People want to believe otherwise (that they don't control so much) because that absolves them of the responsibility for obtaining it. Things like cancer you can't stop. You can take measures to reduce your risks, but if you still contract it you can't stop that.

I'm a firm believer that you can get what you set out for if you put in the time and don't have external controls (namely the threat of violence against your persons like in some 3rd world countries). In North America as in Europe, in other words, I think you can attain almost anything you want.

(I'm talking about purely reasonable things that are doable under the known laws of science, currently available technology, and time.)

 

[TechHead87]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
I think he means that you can't avoid your circumstances by thinking happy thoughts.

Exactly

 

[TechHead87]

Originally posted by: xSkyDrAx
Don't believe in pre-determination. Your argument fails unless you can explain how something is pre-determined and who/what is doing all this pre-determining? A giant space monkey on a type writer?

Ever met a 200 year old man?

 

[iamaelephant]

So why do you believe in determinism? That's just as silly and new-age as this law of attraction.

Honestly I think some people just wake up one day and say "You know, I'm bored with my current, rational beliefs, I want to believe in something totally new-age and interesting. *goes to Amazon.com, selects a random book from the new-age BS category* Ah! Determinism! That's strange, off-the-wall, and as a bonus stipulates that I have to take absolutely no responsibility for what happens in my life! Great!"

What the hell made you go to such a crackpot, silly theory with absolutely no supporting evidence?

 

[AbAbber2k]

Originally posted by: xSkyDrAx
Don't believe in pre-determination. Your argument fails unless you can explain how something is pre-determined and who/what is doing all this pre-determining? A giant space monkey on a type writer?

Giant Space Monkeys aren't necessary for pre-determination. Are you familiar with the term "causality"?

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I understand that superficially this "law" appears contrary to "ordinary" experience. It does because it is almost universally silently presumed that nobody would consciously attract "negative" experiences to themselves. Even those that do would fervently deny it upon questioning. For that matter they'll even go to great lengths to hide that fact from themselves. Regardless, I do subscribe to the idea that our lives and experiences are the exterior manifestations of our inner psychic condition.

At any given moment the individual consciousness stands poised at the intersection of probabilities, and using its own ideals, intents, beliefs and expectations it continually actualizes its own experience. Generally speaking, individuals that believe most strongly in evil or loss as expectations will find those fulfilled in their experience.

 

[AbAbber2k]

Originally posted by: iamaelephant
So why do you believe in determinism? That's just as silly and new-age as this law of attraction.

Honestly I think some people just wake up one day and say "You know, I'm bored with my current, rational beliefs, I want to believe in something totally new-age and interesting. *goes to Amazon.com, selects a random book from the new-age BS category* Ah! Determinism! That's strange, off-the-wall, and as a bonus stipulates that I have to take absolutely no responsibility for what happens in my life! Great!"

What the hell made you go to such a crackpot, silly theory with absolutely no supporting evidence?

I think your view on determinism (and the people who subscribe to it) is rather skewed. Believing in causality doesn't make you some new-age hippy, nor does it mean you forgo responsibility for your actions. :roll:

 

[Nocturnal]

Who pre-determines everything? Do you believe in God?

 

[AbAbber2k]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
Who pre-determines everything? Do you believe in God?

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: xSkyDrAx
Don't believe in pre-determination. Your argument fails unless you can explain how something is pre-determined and who/what is doing all this pre-determining? A giant space monkey on a type writer?

[God isn't] necessary for pre-determination. Are you familiar with the term "causality"?

 

[So]

Originally posted by: iamaelephant
So why do you believe in determinism? That's just as silly and new-age as this law of attraction.

Honestly I think some people just wake up one day and say "You know, I'm bored with my current, rational beliefs, I want to believe in something totally new-age and interesting. *goes to Amazon.com, selects a random book from the new-age BS category* Ah! Determinism! That's strange, off-the-wall, and as a bonus stipulates that I have to take absolutely no responsibility for what happens in my life! Great!"

What the hell made you go to such a crackpot, silly theory with absolutely no supporting evidence?

Have you seriously confused determinism, one of the most notable philosophical products of the enlighetnment with new age BS?

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: TechHead87
From wikipedia (yeah, I know..)

The Law of Attraction is a controversial theory commonly associated with New Age and New Thought theories.

First off, it's not a "theory", it's merely an idea. Come up with some evidence that holds up under controlled experimentation, and I might think it's something other than intellectually lightweight horseshit.

 

[compuwiz1]

The angle of the dangle is always proportionate to the heat of the meat.

 

[eits]

i'm not exactly sure why this is defined as a law...

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: TechHead87

Everybody isn't going to have a $150K/year job. Everyone is not going to live happily ever after, no matter how positive your outlook on life is.

What do you all think?

now that right there is BS. This is ATOT, we all make that or more.