Creative Thinking: Escapism or positive thinking?
Wow! My article “Mind over matter” has created waves indeed. I received several e-mails and I am going to dedicate two whole articles to the debate it gave life to with one particular reader, Mr. A.S. Ansar. As I find it interesting, healthy, enlightening and provoking, I believe that also my readers will enjoy it and wonder about their personal opinion on the matter. My mentor Anthony de Mello used to say: “Listen to my words, accept what makes sense to you and discard the rest.” Therefore, as I am not here to pontificate or dictate a new gospel, I am happy to hear other bells ringing a different tune. The important thing is to always endeavor to express ourselves with the only aim of benefiting others, of encouraging them to find their own answers.
Enough of an introduction, though. Here we go!
Reader: …. “Thought” plays great part in one’s behavior. The “One” particular exercise that you are not comfortable with is a “thorn” in your workout procedure. Whenever you starts your workout, this “thorny” thought is behind your mind, that is why you are not feeling comfortable. But when you transform that “thorny thought” into a pleasurable one, you perform the exercise comfortably, because “YOU” are not there, only your body performed the exercise. You were behind the pleasurable thought you created. This is not any kind of “miracle” — Miracles are things that we cannot explain, what happened with you and what you are advising others is “escapism” — escape from the present.
Answer:… I found the word “escapism” rather strong. Finding yourself in a more dramatic situation, would you prefer to get desperate and hopeless rather that learn to face your predicament in a more bearable way?
Reader: Positive thinking – no doubt is good. What you wrote is not positive thinking, it’s to create a make believe world and the problem will be solved. … When I am in a “dramatic situation” — I will prefer to know why I am in that situation rather than seek ways to escape from it. If I know why I am in that situation I can find out ways to come out of it. Let us take your example of workout. You feel uneasy and you need a “pacifying thought” to help you make it easier. If you find out the particular thing in that work out that creates the uneasiness, your problem is solved. But you are finding ways to circumvent the problem. If you ask any drug addict or alcoholic, they will say that they are in a “dramatic situation”, they are desperate and hopeless, and this is their bearable way to face the predicament. Is that positive thinking? Teach one to face the fact, not to live in a self-made make-believe world and call that positive thinking.
Answer: Positive Thinking does not “change” anything. Nor it “distorts” anything, as you seem to believe. The individual is totally aware of the situation (as constant “awareness” is a point of capital importance here). A “positive” way of thinking simply helps to acquire the attitude with which to “face” the situation in the best possible way. As to my little example about the workout, I wouldn’t call it “Positive Thinking.” It was a simple trick to avoid the strong pain I was feeling for 60 seconds during the squat. I don’t think I was “circumventing the problem” in order to solve it. There was no problem to be solved, in this case. The exercise was stressful for me and, as I wanted to perform it, I simply found a way to make it less stressful. My aim in the article was to show that thought intentionally focused (mind) has power over body (matter). As to bigger problems, when I talk or write about Positive Thinking, I know what I am saying, and I can assure you that “I am not creating a make-believe world,” as you say. I personally (and many others) have been able to transform myself and, consequently, my life — for the better, thank God — according to the principles I present in my articles. In conclusion, I am really enjoying this kind of “debate” and, believe me, I am not trying to “convince” you. I only hope that what I say can help some people to live better, if they choose to.
(To be continued)
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