[Ailist] Positive Thinking Leads To Irresponsibility

[julie caldwell]

Thank you for your link about positive thinking and gambling.

> When Positive Thinking Leads To Financial Irresponsibility Like  
> Compulsive Gambling
> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111630.htm

I'd like to ask you your opinion about the effect of prayer as  
positive thinking?  And how ethical behavior comes into play, say we  
pray for world peace, or for enough food and medicine for everybody.

Then when we look at the root causes of war and hunger we need to be  
honest that the root is linked with greed, anger and jealousy.

So even the best of us non-violent folks still have little jealousies  
or angers.

Then we experience small and big wins (the dinner turns out well, we  
get a grant or the ideal job, the war ends) and small and big loses  
(burn the dinner, argue with the spouse, a car accident or a disease  
like cancer).

My own experience says that grasping to what we "like" -- small or  
large wins or wishing for small and large wins actually creates the  
causes of suffering....
Not having what we like, we experience suffering...so we gamble more  
and more...

We say prayers for what we want -- instead of being satisfied with  
what is here and now and taking action around that which we are  
dissatisfied...This is not say that positive action, appreciative  
dialouges are grasping...it all depends on how one is satisfied with  
the outcomes.


what do you think?  Did the article on gambling express this notion.   
And if so, how do we use frame pure prayers, discussions and actions?

Sincerely,
julie caldwell


On Apr 22, 2008, at 10:21 PM, Lionel Boxer wrote:

> This:
>
> "When the outcome of an experience including both positive and  
> negative events results in a net gain, people look for ways to  
> integrate positive and negative events to reduce, if not cancel, the  
> pain associated with the negative events," Cowley explains.
>
> sounds like the recipe for a long and happy marriage.
>
> Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
> Associate of RMIT University - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au
> Graduate School of Business
> What's up?: http://intergon.net/events.html
> The Sustainable Way: http://intergon.net/tsw
>>>> <stephanie at allen-nichols.com> 23/04/08 8:48 AM >>>
> Stephanie (stephanie at allen-nichols.com) has sent you a link to the  
> following page on ScienceDaily:
>
> When Positive Thinking Leads To Financial Irresponsibility Like  
> Compulsive Gambling
> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421111630.htm
>
> Looking on the bright side can lead to irresponsible financial  
> behavior, reveals a new article. In a series of studies, scientists  
> examine repeat gambling in the face of loss. They find that people  
> often engage in too much positive thinking, selectively focusing on  
> one win among hundreds of losses when they think back on the overall  
> experience.
>
> * Note: the sender's email address has not been verified.
>
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