The law of attraction

Victim blaming 101

This week I’m thinking about the law of attraction. If you somehow missed it sweeping through American culture, it comes from a book and movie called The Secret. The law of Attraction post is that we create our reality, and you attract the things you choose to focus on. Yes, it really is that stupid. 

So here’s the thing. I work in global health. Just about every scrap of wisdom I've ever acquired in my life has been learned from the very poor.  And I've learned this:

The law of attraction is victim blaming nonsense and probably evil. 

Ghastly, heartbreaking soul/destroying atrocities happen all the time to people who are working hard and focusing on the good stuff in the world. But if you believe in the Law of Attraction - if you believe you can manifest things in your life with your brain - I suppose you could manifest yourself a COVID infection by being too careful about masks or crowds or vaccination. 

The law of attraction cuddles up in bed at night with another concept, the just world fallacy. If you're unfamiliar with it, the just world fallacy is also just as stupid as it sounds. It consists of the belief that the world is fair and if something bad happens to you, it's because you deserved it. (1)

I have met more than one human rights activist who has been tortured. I once met a woman with a human uterus in a jar. I had a Syrian doctor ask my project for a better way to get the babies into the bomb shelter when the rockets came. I’m gonna go ahead here and say just world my ass. 

But…if you've got the just world fallacy lurking in your back brain and the Law of Attraction blowing up your Instagram feed…well, maybe that’s how you end up thinking masks are destroying our lives and fear of COVID is the real virus. 

1. believing in the just world fallacy is actually proof you’re a jerk, by the way. There is research.