"Magical thinking" is clearly dangerous, and I think that just about every can find a useful personal word of caution from within this article.
What a sad story.
New tagline material.
The masked and feathered witch doctor goes through his incantations and the patient gets better. Therefore, the witch doctors ministrations cured the patient. The aforementioned example is what I was taught represents ‘magical thinking.’ In short, ‘magical thinking’ is erroneous thinking regarding causation. What the author calls magical thinking seems to be a person basing one’s beliefs on inadequate evidence or drawing conclusions not warranted by the premises-(erroneous reasoning).
Back in the late 50’s and early 60s one my co-workers at an Engineering firm in Indianapolis was a Hindu. He had a master degree from Purdue, and was very brilliant.
I was swatting at flies,he was cringing! I asked what is the matter Dayo? He answered, “I believe in reincarnation, and we may return as a fly.”
I answered, “I understood you believe in evolution. Don’t they conflict?
He answered, “As a scientist, I believe in evolution; as a religion I believe in reincarnation!”
Go figure!!!!
Back in the late 50’s and early 60s one my co-workers at an Engineering firm in Indianapolis was a Hindu. He had a master degree from Purdue, and was very brilliant.
I was swatting at flies,he was cringing! I asked what is the matter Dayo? He answered, “I believe in reincarnation, and we may return as a fly.”
I answered, “I understood you believe in evolution. Don’t they conflict?
He answered, “As a scientist, I believe in evolution; as a religion I believe in reincarnation!”
Go figure!!!!
bttt
I thought this was a blockbuster article. Thanks for posting. Many valid thought-provoking points and well done.
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Deconstructing Linus: Portrait of a True Believing Pumpkinist as a Young Man "Each year on Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere and flies through the air with his pack of toys for all the good little children in the world." No. This is about sincerity, a subjective standard by any definition. I wonder if Linus blames himself every year for not picking the most sincere pumpkin patch for his vigil? I wonder if other Great Pumpkinists castigate Linus by asserting if he were more in tune with the Spirit of the Great Pumpkin, if he were more prayerful, if he read the Holy Writ of the Great Pumpkin with a greater sincerity, that he could indeed rise to the challenge and, via the Spirit, be lead to choose the most sincere pumpkin patch? I wonder how many years Linus will feel guilty for this failure and blame himself for receiving no answer no matter how sincere he believes himself to be? I wonder if Linus ever gets frustrated because there is no objective way to measure sincerity? And if he realizes there is no objective standard for such a thing, I wonder if it ever creeps into his mind that his annual mission is nothing more than mindless busywork? I wonder, does Linus ever has doubts? There is no room for doubt when one is a Great Pumpkinist. One should never say if the Great Pumpkin comes but always when the Great Pumpkin comes. "One little slip like that, can cause the Great Pumpkin to pass you by!" It’s hard to imagine a benevolent icon such as the Great Pumpkin punishing TBPs (True Believing Pumkinists) for such a minor infraction, but there you have it.
"I was robbed! I spent the whole night waiting for the Great Pumpkin when I could have been out for tricks or treats! Halloween is over and I missed it! You blockhead! You kept me up all night waiting for the Great Pumpkin and all that came was a beagle!" Luckily for Sally, she only missed one Halloween. And though she is demanding restitution, because her participation was voluntary, she will never receive said restitution. She’ll simply have to accept the experience as one of life’s absurdities and move on. After all, fantastic claims should be supported by fantastic evidence, right? The question now becomes, has this experience made Linus a skeptic? After yet again not having his Pumpkin Patch recognized as sincere and after having endangered his friendship with Sally, will he continue to believe? In spite of a complete and utter lack of evidence pointing to the existence of the Great Pumpkin, and a complete and utter lack of the Great Pumpkin’s Promise ever having been fulfilled, Linus is a True Believing Pumpkinist to the core. To even admit the possibility that he may be wrong would be to negate all those years of hard work and sincere belief. Linus simply cannot turn his back on his belief.
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BookMark
It’s interesting that the author was a tbm and through his rational thought process determined that the fantastical claims of the BoM were just too much and subsequently has become inactive.
Yet, his “aversion” to “hurting his family” has prevented him from making the break while at the same time expressing concern over what his grandchildren are being taught. I found this to be an interesting dichotomy.
As an ex-mo, I can relate to his conundrum though. I’m going through it right now. While I seek Christian counseling and guidance to help me leave mormonism behind, I’m at the same time, “leaving my family behind” in a way. Until I can begin to show them the truth.
Of course, I’ll have to break through the “magical thinking” that has a hold on them in order to be successful.
Thought provoking article, thanks for posting.
wow. quite the story and sad.
Norm, you may want to jump in here; as it looks to be right up your alley.
Morons are irrational ... so whats the point?
There is not a thing here that is not common to all religious faith. “Magical Thinking’ is just secular verbiage for faith.