Jun 29 2024 3 mins
So you know how everyone’s always like, “Think positive thoughts!” and “Just be happy!”? Well, there's this thing called the Backwards Law that says the more you try to be happy, the less happy you actually are. Crazy, right? But it makes pretty good sense if you don't think about it too much.
The Backwards Law says that when you chase after something super hard, you just end up pushing it away. It’s like trying to go to sleep. The harder you try, the less you sleep. You’re so focused on the idea of sleeping that you’re stressing yourself out and not actually sleeping. Pretty ironical, right?
But here's the thing: once you know about the Backwards Law, you can kind of use it to your advantage. Instead of trying so hard all the time, you can just loosen up and let things happen naturally. It's like when you stop obsessing over remembering something and suddenly it pops into your head. Maybe the secret is to not stress about making things happen, so then they can happen!
This whole Backwards Law thing is from a guy named Alan Watts. He was a philosopher, which means he thought a lot about life and truth I guess. He basically said that when you stop trying so hard and just go with the flow, things work out better. Like, instead of stressing about being happy, just live your life and happiness will come naturally.
But what does this mean for us? Well, maybe we should stop stressing so much about being perfect and happy all the time. It’s okay to not always be super positive. Sometimes you have a bad hair day, right? We can try letting happiness find us instead of chasing it around all the time.
Anyway, next time you find yourself struggling with something, just remember the Backwards Law. Maybe just relax and let things happen. Why paddle so hard when you can just go with the flow, right? You might end up getting what you want without even trying. How awesome would that be? If it works, it's a pretty big deal, and if it doesn't, at least you got to chill out for a while.
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The fool who persists in his folly will become wise.
-William Blake
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