The Law of Attraction Doesn't Work!
In science there’s something known as the Black Swan Problem. Human beings have a tendency to develop universal statements based on individual observations or perspectives. Truths are developed based on these observations that are sometimes difficult to argue or dispute. In personal growth the Law of Attraction is something that most people swallow whole without really understanding how or why it works.
So what? Isn’t the Law of Attraction used to cultivate a positive mindset? What’s the harm?
Let’s go back to the swans. Karl Popper, one of the world’s most renowned scientific philosophers, used the black swan to demonstrate that no theory holds up to scientific scrutiny unless it can be falsified. Ask most people what color swans are and they’ll say white; most swans are white. However, all it takes is one black swan to falsify the statement that “all swans are white.” While rare, black swans do exist, so this provides the exception that opens the white swan theory to scrutiny and scientific examination.
So what’s all this got to do with the Law of Attraction?
My problem with the Law of Attraction is that too many people use it as an excuse for inaction, or worse as some kind of explanation or even justification for personal inadequacies, real or perceived. I once talked to a woman who was in authentic agony because she had arrived at the conclusion that there must be something seriously wrong with her. Why? Because she had been manifesting and building vision boards to help her focus on raising $30,000 she needed within weeks to buy in to a business offering that she felt was her destiny. So far, she had not managed to “manifest” a single dollar. Her question to me was, “Jim, what’s wrong with me?”
The fact is that despite what too many people believe about the Law of Attraction, plenty of crooks and assholes attract a lot of good things into their lives, especially it seems, money. People do get rich, and some seem also to be emotionally and maybe even spiritually satisfied exploiting others. All it takes is one successful exploitive jerk and you’ve got your black swan.
On the other hand, you may be doing your absolute best to be a good person and yet the only thing you seem to attract is a cloud of dust like Pig Pen from the old Charlie Brown comics.
The fact is that all the manifesting, meditating, vision boarding and communing with the spirits of dolphins (yup, someone actually charges money for that one) isn’t going to do a damn thing if you’re not willing to accept the hard work, discipline and perseverance it takes to accomplish anything worthwhile. Even then, you may fail.
This revelation may be very discomforting to some people. To me it’s not. The Black Swan Problem doesn’t mean that everything you’re doing is a waste of time, far from it. It simply means you should approach the problem of success with a rational, scientific methodology. In its original form, Napoleon Hill identifies the Law of Attraction as a characteristic of the successful people he studied. He found that generally, you do “manifest” or attract the outcomes you focus your mind upon…if you’re willing to do the work. You may also find that your efforts take you in an entirely new direction. Be open to change, you may find your life’s greatest adventure!
Back to the woman looking for the $30,000- I convinced her to at least consider the possibility that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. Maybe the money wasn’t coming her way because she really wasn’t doing anything tangible to go and get it. Maybe there was a good reason for that; maybe the deal sucked! (And it did!) In her guts, she knew it!
If you’re manifesting diligently and things aren’t breaking your way, take a look at exactly what you want and why. You see, I’m not condemning manifesting, vision board, affirmations and other such tools. I use them myself. I’m really sick of people using them as crutches and getting ripped off by people whose only successful manifestation has been to manifest other people’s money selling CD sets and weekend retreats with guarantees of unlimited wealth. Amazing how these snake oil peddlers always find a way to up-sell you to another retreat if for some reason you can’t seem to make it work the first time around.
“The good news is there are still plenty of ambitious, creative people in the world who feel entitled to nothing but an opportunity and are willing to work hard to make the most of it. You’re one of them. Seriously, if you haven’t thrown this book (Think Like a Black Belt) out the window yet, you must agree that discipline, focus and hard work are the necessary ingredients for a happy and successful life. You may already be well developed in these areas or you may want to improve, but either way you recognize that the best rewards in life are those that are earned.”
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About the Author:
Martial arts transformed Jim’s self-perception from former drug abuser and failure to successful entrepreneur and Black Belt. As a speaker and author of Amazon bestseller Think Like a Black Belt, Jim tours nationally presenting his philosophy of Black Belt Mindset for coporate and conference audiences. He’s a regular guest on TV and radio programs including FOX News, BBC Worldview and FOX Across America.
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