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The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking: How Irrational Beliefs Keep Us Happy, Healthy, and Sane
by
Matthew Hutson (Goodreads Author)
In this witty and perceptive debut, a former editor at "Psychology Today" shows us how magical thinking makes life worth living.
Psychologists have documented a litany of cognitive biases- misperceptions of the world-and explained their positive functions. Now, Matthew Hutson shows us that even the most hardcore skeptic indulges in magical thinking all the time-and it's cru...more
Psychologists have documented a litany of cognitive biases- misperceptions of the world-and explained their positive functions. Now, Matthew Hutson shows us that even the most hardcore skeptic indulges in magical thinking all the time-and it's cru...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
April 12th 2012
by Hudson Street Press
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**Magical reading**
If you think about it, the existential realities of life are pretty harsh: life has no inherent meaning, purpose, or order...and the only certainty we can count on is death. It’s not hard to see how we need some kind of psychological buffer to soften the existential blows.
Enter magical thinking.
In the words of author Matthew Hutson:
“Magical thinking provides a sense of control. The value of an illusory sense of control is that it reduces anxiety and increases a feeling of ag...more
If you think about it, the existential realities of life are pretty harsh: life has no inherent meaning, purpose, or order...and the only certainty we can count on is death. It’s not hard to see how we need some kind of psychological buffer to soften the existential blows.
Enter magical thinking.
In the words of author Matthew Hutson:
“Magical thinking provides a sense of control. The value of an illusory sense of control is that it reduces anxiety and increases a feeling of ag...more
I am going to pick on Mormonism for just a moment, because we have a Mormon running for President for the first time. However, I think Mormonism is unexceptional in the pantheon of religions, save for its relative youth.
To be a Mormon requires that one believe all of the things a typical Christian believes, such as that Moses parted the Red Sea so the Hebrews could pass (then closed her back up over the top of the Romans), that Jesus was born of a virgin, walked on water, rose from the dead, and...more
To be a Mormon requires that one believe all of the things a typical Christian believes, such as that Moses parted the Red Sea so the Hebrews could pass (then closed her back up over the top of the Romans), that Jesus was born of a virgin, walked on water, rose from the dead, and...more
Lightweight pop science by a not-particularly acute journalist. One interesting section, though, was on the importance of the illusion of control in determining people's feelings about a situation. Subject groups who believed they had more control over a situation than they actually did were always more satisfied with the outcome than people who didn't have the illusion of control. Often they performed worse than their more realistic peers, but they felt better about themselves and their perform...more
This is a great read -- fun and insightful. The author does a great job of pointing out our irrational behaviors and offering ways to overcome them. He walks a line between giving us a hard time for such behavior (though never ridiculing it) and showing us the way out (by gently nudging us in that direction). As such, it's not a hard and heavy book when it comes to a call for critical thinking.
Which is not necessarily a bad thing when you're trying to change people's ideas or behaviors.
I origina...more
Which is not necessarily a bad thing when you're trying to change people's ideas or behaviors.
I origina...more
The notion that irrationality keeps us sane is so counter-intuitive that I want to give this book a chance to explain itself. Don't tell me that it's somehow _good_ to be superstitious! Ludicrous!
On the other hand, I'll admit a little bit of trepidation. I don't want to be disabused of the feeling of wonderment and awe that I have when I look at a museum object and think, "That strangely circular, not oblong but really round, stovepipe hat used to encircle one of the greatest minds of the 19th...more
On the other hand, I'll admit a little bit of trepidation. I don't want to be disabused of the feeling of wonderment and awe that I have when I look at a museum object and think, "That strangely circular, not oblong but really round, stovepipe hat used to encircle one of the greatest minds of the 19th...more
An interesting enquiry into how we are all prone to irrational, magical thinking, and the reasons for this. Packed full of interesting anecdotes and studies, the central conceit, regarding the 'positive' nature of this thinking, is nevertheless a bit restrictive for the material and leaves the book feeling a bit unstructured and chaotic. Still worth a read.
I really enjoyed his analysis of why we believe in certain things. It wasn't a promotion of beliefs or bashing of beliefs. Hutson just looks at things and the studies done on them and explains why we need to believe in some things or we'd all be mad. I will be rereading this one. There was a lot to take in for such a relatively short book.
This is fantastic! A good humored examination of all the unprovable beliefs of life. I'd love to see to Matthew Hutson and the author Mary Roach tag-team some major subject, they both examine everything with equal parts clear scientific thinking and wry commentary.
I liked the way the author talked about our biolgical ways of being and how magical thinking helps our evolutionary existence. It was an interesting read and he doesn't try to convince anyone of belief or nonbelief.
Some interesting information here and the writing is entertaining and personal. I enjoyed the way he linked various studies with which I was already familiar to his notion of magical thinking.
Meh. A decent book on superstitious beliefs, but often digressed or made associations between topics that seem to ramble than provide a critical analysis. I would suggest reading "The Science of Superstition" by Bruce Hood instead.
Found through article at Mother Nature Network.
Favorite quote:
"Far from a sign of stupidity or weakness, magical thinking exemplifies many of the habits of mind that made humans so evolutionarily successful. Once you’ve accepted that the brain constructs reality, and that the brain has evolved like any other organ to help its owner survive and reproduce, it follows that the brain constructs reality in the most useful way possible for its owner. The key word here is useful, which is not to say accurate. The brain doesn’t care so much what’s r...more
"Far from a sign of stupidity or weakness, magical thinking exemplifies many of the habits of mind that made humans so evolutionarily successful. Once you’ve accepted that the brain constructs reality, and that the brain has evolved like any other organ to help its owner survive and reproduce, it follows that the brain constructs reality in the most useful way possible for its owner. The key word here is useful, which is not to say accurate. The brain doesn’t care so much what’s r...more
As seen in
Nature
.
Light and entertaining, Hutson's "laws" don't withstand much critical scrutiny.
if you can't sleep - this will help * yawn * not so good....
Everyone is guilty of magical thinking and it's a good thing.
But not as magical as I'd hoped!
Very interesting
Not a bad read. Just don't really buy into some of the conclusions.
I found this book incredibly boring and unfocused. I made it to the end but just barely.
This is the most boring book I have read in years. I could only make it to the halfway point. The premise in interesting, but oh my God. I was reading 10 pages a night to put myself to sleep.
Pop science and I love the subject but the writing did nothing for me. Did not finish.
I was really only interested in Chapter 7 of this book, but I'd hoped to find the rest of it just as engaging. I did not--and ended up skimming half the chapters.
May 16, 2013
Selena Perez
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May 13, 2013
Rachel Sisk
marked it as to-read
May 10, 2013
Jenae Juarez
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Filipa
marked it as to-read
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Mar 17, 2013 12:16pm
Mar 17, 2013 03:44pm