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Tatsumi · 31-35, M
Positive thinking = Very beneficial
"Manifestation" = The universe doesn't give a single fuck about you as evidenced by it constantly trying to murder you; you have no super powers; and, bad shit happens to good people--or people who have positive intentions--literally all the time.
So no. We have to work hard against a nature that wants us dead. Positive thoughts are very beneficial; and, we have to be careful not to create our own self-fulfilling prophecies with negative thought patterns; but no, I don't believe in "manifesting". I admit I do like listening to Sadhguru and other yogis, but that I definitely don't believe. If something is too good to be true, it probably is.
This life is only made better by blood, sweat, and tears; and a lot of luck.
"Manifestation" = The universe doesn't give a single fuck about you as evidenced by it constantly trying to murder you; you have no super powers; and, bad shit happens to good people--or people who have positive intentions--literally all the time.
So no. We have to work hard against a nature that wants us dead. Positive thoughts are very beneficial; and, we have to be careful not to create our own self-fulfilling prophecies with negative thought patterns; but no, I don't believe in "manifesting". I admit I do like listening to Sadhguru and other yogis, but that I definitely don't believe. If something is too good to be true, it probably is.
This life is only made better by blood, sweat, and tears; and a lot of luck.
ShadowSister · 46-50, F
@Tatsumi I think this is misleading. First of all, even if we accept your naturalistic assumptions, there's more that's good about manifesting than just positive thinking. It's more like positive thinking joined together with a commitment to action. Most of the things I have received from the Universe have come at my own hand. For instance, I wanted something that there seemed to be no way to get, but because I was thinking so much about it, I managed to find a way to do it.
But I feel like there's more to it than naturalistic assumptions allow. When I have put something out to the Universe, things happen that seem to be beyond coincidence. Is it just confirmation bias? Could be. But coincidences sure seem to happen a lot when you put it out to the Universe.
Either way, I don't need to explain it to know it works. And it's more than just positive thinking. It's more like positive thinking on steroids.
But I feel like there's more to it than naturalistic assumptions allow. When I have put something out to the Universe, things happen that seem to be beyond coincidence. Is it just confirmation bias? Could be. But coincidences sure seem to happen a lot when you put it out to the Universe.
Either way, I don't need to explain it to know it works. And it's more than just positive thinking. It's more like positive thinking on steroids.
Tatsumi · 31-35, M
@ShadowSister Confirmation bias, yes. Same reason as when you're driving on the highway, and there's [b]always[/b] traffic. It's not that there's "always" traffic, is it?
Or, the man who says he [b]always[/b] puts the seat down; or, the woman who says he [b]never[/b] puts the seat down. Is either true? Is either false?
The most likely scenario is that you can't remember when you "forgot" to put the seat down, or you don't remember when the seat *was* put down. Because you weren't paying attention when it wasn't important to you.
It's most likely not that the universe is lending you a helping hand so much as it is you didn't recognize the opportunities of the past as opportunities, but now you do. It's much more reasonable that your perception changed, rather than the heavens suddenly decided to cut you a break, because you stsrted trying.
There's a reason for physicalist thinking. Because magicial thinking didn't invent the mind-fuck device that you and I are communicating on: physical facts did.
It's comforting to believe that you have some celestial extra guiding hand or gentle push, but that's fundamentally why it's bullshit.
In any case, if it works for you, hey, that's good news.
Or, the man who says he [b]always[/b] puts the seat down; or, the woman who says he [b]never[/b] puts the seat down. Is either true? Is either false?
The most likely scenario is that you can't remember when you "forgot" to put the seat down, or you don't remember when the seat *was* put down. Because you weren't paying attention when it wasn't important to you.
It's most likely not that the universe is lending you a helping hand so much as it is you didn't recognize the opportunities of the past as opportunities, but now you do. It's much more reasonable that your perception changed, rather than the heavens suddenly decided to cut you a break, because you stsrted trying.
There's a reason for physicalist thinking. Because magicial thinking didn't invent the mind-fuck device that you and I are communicating on: physical facts did.
It's comforting to believe that you have some celestial extra guiding hand or gentle push, but that's fundamentally why it's bullshit.
In any case, if it works for you, hey, that's good news.
ShadowSister · 46-50, F
@Tatsumi I don't know. Maybe you're right. I've gotten progressively skeptical about my beliefs. I used to call all of this God. Now I don't know what to call it, and often just say Universe for shorthand.
But even if I grant what you are saying, the human mind is an amazingly complex organ. The placebo effect alone should give us pause. Belief matters, even if it is misguided belief.
Does believing that the Universe is guiding me give me confidence to do what I could have done anyway, like Dumbo's feather? Maybe. I'm open to the idea that maybe it's all in my head. But at the same time, when I allow myself to drift into more skeptical modes of thinking, the feather seems to lose its power.
But even if I grant what you are saying, the human mind is an amazingly complex organ. The placebo effect alone should give us pause. Belief matters, even if it is misguided belief.
Does believing that the Universe is guiding me give me confidence to do what I could have done anyway, like Dumbo's feather? Maybe. I'm open to the idea that maybe it's all in my head. But at the same time, when I allow myself to drift into more skeptical modes of thinking, the feather seems to lose its power.
Tatsumi · 31-35, M
@ShadowSister Belief does matter, but so does critical thinking. Believing in a possibility is one thing, accepting magical-esque possibilities as fact is dangerous territory.
It does lose its power. Same way religion gives people something to hold on to, then they have nothing if they go Agnostic/Atheist. As long as what you're doing because of your belief doesn't hurt other people, meh. That said, a lot of beliefs can hurt other people implicitly and in typically unthought ways. Or, not help humanity to the best degree.
But. WhaddaIknow. We know very little about [i]anything [/i]when it boils down to it. I just think physicalist thinking is more important for stability and human evolution. We know for sure what brought us out of the Dark Ages, that which allowed us to conquer the night, and soon perhaps disease and possibly even aging. Facts.
But, like I said, I like listening to yogis and the spiritualists, too. They are interesting ideas, if nothing else, and meditation in particular has been shown to have profoundly positive physical, mental, and emotional effects, so maybe there is more to it. And if believing something can give you a boost, *shrug*. The Universe knows we need a fucking boost.
It does lose its power. Same way religion gives people something to hold on to, then they have nothing if they go Agnostic/Atheist. As long as what you're doing because of your belief doesn't hurt other people, meh. That said, a lot of beliefs can hurt other people implicitly and in typically unthought ways. Or, not help humanity to the best degree.
But. WhaddaIknow. We know very little about [i]anything [/i]when it boils down to it. I just think physicalist thinking is more important for stability and human evolution. We know for sure what brought us out of the Dark Ages, that which allowed us to conquer the night, and soon perhaps disease and possibly even aging. Facts.
But, like I said, I like listening to yogis and the spiritualists, too. They are interesting ideas, if nothing else, and meditation in particular has been shown to have profoundly positive physical, mental, and emotional effects, so maybe there is more to it. And if believing something can give you a boost, *shrug*. The Universe knows we need a fucking boost.