Influencing the Future

Remember the Scott Adams “Future” book that I was reading? Sorry to be going back to that again but there were some pretty interesting bits in it that related back to many of my previous observations (saving turtles, personal responsibility, life planning…) so I’m still thinking about it. Mr. Adams was promoting the view that things aren’t necessarily as they seem in terms of the “laws of nature” that we assume govern our lives - and our future. At least our individual 'futures.' (He described a 'lucky' family he had known once that just KNEW they’d be lucky, and so they were.) With this as his starting point, he suggested that we could all influence specific outcomes – attain specific goals in our lives – with, basically, a positive attitude and an open mind.

Think butterfly wings flapping and changing global weather patterns here.

He is advocating the process of “Affirmations,” which I always saw as a California ‘woo-woo’ sort of thing and really am not interested in. But, in its essence, it is just the old idea of the Power of Positive Thinking (or, some might even say – looking at it yet another way – the power of Prayer.) And there, I think, is merit.

At least I am certain that the ‘opposite’ proves the case – that not thinking about, planning for, and being open to a positive future dooms us to a bleak one.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr made up a story once about how ideas come to us – that each idea, creative thought or inspiration is actually a physical ‘ray,’ randomly shooting through the universe, which may or may not hit someone in the head and come to fruition, as it were. Obviously any progress in civilization depended on the right ray hitting the right person at the right time. For example, if E=MC2 had hit me instead of Einstein, the Theory of Relativity could never have been developed since I am, clearly, not the right person for such stuff. I'm not sure why that whole idea appealed to me... But, this ‘Positive Thinking’ idea appeals as well, seeming to be sort of the opposite-action-with-similar-results: We’re the ones shooting out ‘rays’ of goal statements, which in turn start bouncing off all the possible ‘outcomes’ and directing the right ones our way.

Of course formulating the goal statement in the first place is a challenge. So is recognizing an opportunity, when one zaps us, as being a step in the right direction.

So, if I HAD a plan, I might have the right attitude to achieve it!


Curious about the book? Here's two sources:
Review
Criticsm and Response