{"id":1701,"date":"2011-07-01T04:10:01","date_gmt":"2011-07-01T11:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coreyshead.com\/blog\/?p=1701"},"modified":"2014-02-14T09:17:00","modified_gmt":"2014-02-14T17:17:00","slug":"dont-even-say-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coreyshead.com\/blog\/2011\/07\/01\/dont-even-say-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t even say<\/i> that!"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

I frequently hear people admonishing others or even themselves for voicing a negative possibility.<\/p>\n

Now I do understand and believe in the power of positive thought. Optimism is an important component of health and social advancement: perky people prosper.<\/p>\n

Of course, this is a generalization \u2013 plenty of grumpy jerks make it to the top and live long lives while some incredibly cheerful people contract terminal illnesses and or remain in a state of penury their entire lives. The point is that the former never appreciate what they have while the latter never mind the deficit.<\/p>\n

To hear a good portion of the populace talk of it, though, all you have to do is think about something – \u00a0speak it, imagine it – \u00a0and it will occur. Not to mention that, no matter how ghastly your present fate, \u201ceverything happens for a reason\u201d \u2013 as if your suffering is integral to your growth as a human; part of some grand training program.<\/p>\n

Hmmm, what would the victims of any murder have to say about these two lovely concepts?<\/p>\n

The worst part of these aforementioned fallacies, that you somehow control the universe with your mind, is that if bad things happen to you \u2013 the company you work for goes under, you lose a child, contract bone cancer, what have you \u2013 the sense is that it is your fault for not being positive enough<\/em>. Further, when you are told that the hell you are going through is \u201cfor a reason,\u201d it implies that you are not humble enough, or schooled enough, or tough enough or … we\u2019re back to the fact that it\u2019s \u201cyour fault\u201d if you\u2019re suffering.<\/p>\n

Now there’s a cheerful thought! That’ll perk you right up!<\/p>\n

Despite the bald-faced inanity of it, a lot of people like this idea, that what is happening to them is an assignment from the universe (or one deity or another). I agree that everything that happens to you, good or bad, can and should be seen as a lesson of some kind, so that you can help yourself to accrue the good results and eschew the bad. Seeing it as a walk of wisdom under some great controller, however, is to imply that there is a safety net of some kind or that you deserve to suffer. I don\u2019t believe either of these things is true or very helpful.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of books have and continue to be written in support of this concept and many of them go on to be best sellers, indicating to me not so much the truth of the words contained therein but the desperate need so many of us have to feel that just wishing<\/em> it so will make it occur.<\/p>\n

I’ll never forget the poor sap I met who planned to join hands in a circle with others to positively think<\/em> Dennis Kucinich into office during the 2004 election. “It’s going to work,” he exclaimed, thoroughly convinced in the plan’s efficacy. “Bush can’t win, thousands of us are meeting across the US!”<\/p>\n

Rock on, psychic soldier, rock on …<\/p>\n

I cannot help but think that this whole notion of “manifestation” was kick-started accidentally, that someone was just trying to get people to be positive because that, in itself, is a good thing but the goony masses, in their infinite lack of wisdom, took the poor son of a bitch literally and there’s been hell to pay ever since; people looking daggers at you if you dare to make a realistic – excuse me – “negative” supposition about any potential outcome: “Don’t even say<\/em> that!” As if my words, my thoughts, somehow have the ability to affect the outcome on a psychic scale.<\/p>\n

Oh, if only, people. If only.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some time ago I was filling in as a clerk for a friend of mine who just so happens to own a new age bookstore. The phone rang and at the other end was a customer who was looking for a particular book.<\/p>\n

According to her, the universe had told her that she needed the book. It was one she had owned before but lost after loaning it out.<\/p>\n

I checked the computerized inventory, which suffers from a rather pernicious case of GIGO<\/em><\/a>, and saw that we had only one copy listed.<\/p>\n

I explained the situation to her as I scanned the appropriate shelf, \u00a0\u201cwhen the computer says we have two or more I tend to expect to find at least one on the shelf but, when it says one \u2026\u201d I let the comment hang. I hoped I’d find the book but knew there was a chance we didn’t actually have it in stock.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know you have it,\u201d she replied, \u201cthe universe told me to call you. I can see it there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The universe might have known it was there but it wasn’t letting me in on its little joke because I couldn\u2019t find the damned thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me call you back,\u201d I asked. \u201cI\u2019d like to do a more thorough search.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay but I know you\u2019ll find it!\u201d<\/p>\n

I took her number, terminated the connection and continued to scan shelves, first where it should be, then places it shouldn\u2019t. I even enlisted the help of our contract \u201cpsychic\u201d who, prior to the phone interrupting us, had been grilling me for my lack of faith and, thus, wisdom but the title was nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you just use your intuition to find it?\u201d asked the psychic.<\/p>\n

I wanted to counter with: \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just use your psychic powers to tell me whether it\u2019s here or not?\u201d but instead replied honestly: \u201cI did \u2013 my intuition tells me it\u2019s not<\/em> here \u2013 but it must be, right? I mean, she manifested<\/em> it \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The book was not there. I called the customer to tell her we were going to have to order a copy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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