Aptitude not attitude.

I was trying to read The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World by Lynne McTaggart and just had to abandon the book.

It's simply too silly to continue to waste time on. McTaggart is one of the endless parade of new agey dupes who think that you can actually physically change reality by thinking really hard about something. The reason: quantum mechanics. Ooga booga!

I got about 50 pages into the book before realizing their wasn't a skeptical bone in McTaggart's body. I guess there have always been people around who think this. Philosophers have a name for it: solipsism. It's also called "mental masturbation" because it's endlessly engrossing and totally useless.

Now the people who believe this have scientific proof! Quantum mechanics! Because, you see, our consciousness influences sub-atomic particles! And that means, if you extrapolate, that your thoughts also influence events in the universe!

What a silly jump to an even dumber conclusion. First, most physicists will tell you that quantum mechanics is way too complex to understand. Second, how can you go from a double-slit sub-atomic particle experiment to "your thoughts control the universe"? Third, the "scientists" who believe this stuff can only get their experiments published in discredited, pseudo-scientific journals like the "psychical research journal".

This is all the rage nowadays. It started with The Secret (2006) by Rhonda Byrne. But really before that the classic book on the topic was The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. The only difference is those early books about positive thinking didn't use "magic" or "quantum mechanics". Peale used God to help people stay positive and motivated.

The worst thing about this solipsism is not what it says, it's what it implies. If you control the universe with your mind then all the bad things that have happened to you are your fault! Guess what, your child died of cancer because you wanted it to happen! Your leg was amputated in the car accident because you told the universe to do it!

What a deplorable and irresponsible view of the world.

Here's a little bit of common sense: It's great to have a good attitude, but success comes mostly from aptitude. The people with the most talent, best work ethic and most suitable skills, end up with the most success. And through random chance bad shit will happen to outstanding people and good shit will happen to the most vile. It's called life.

Put your head down, try to stay positive and work hard at what you love. Don't waste time reading books that make irresponsible and fantastical claims.