While based upon ideas of positivity and hope, the Law of Attraction may not be quite so well-intentioned as it seems on the surface…
What is the Law of Attraction?
The Law of Attraction is a ‘universal law’ which claims we can manifest our reality through our positive thoughts: it states that if we send positive thoughts and energies out into the universe, while visualising our goals, we will attract what we desire into our lives, allowing us to achieve success, love and happiness.
So far, so good, right?
On the surface, the Law of Attraction seems like a wonderful element within spirituality, encouraging us to focus on positive thought and allowing us to connect with the universal energies. However, every positive has a negative, and this law has a few: these negatives are things which often go overlooked, but can be seriously damaging in a person’s quest for happiness.
Here are just a few key examples of why the law may not be as positive as it seems on the surface…
1. When the Law of Attraction turns on you
As previously stated, the Law of Attraction explains that positivity attracts positivity. This would suggest that every positive thing that has ever happened to you, happened because you were sending positive thoughts and energy out into the universe – and the positive consequence was manifested as a result. However, at the other end of the stick is negativity – and the law explains that negativity attracts negativity. What does this mean for us? Well, this law claims that every bad thing that has ever happened to you was your own fault – because you attracted it into your life by sending out negative thoughts and energy into the universe.
Yep, you read that correctly.
This is such a harmful, toxic idea to me, that it holds me back from fully committing myself to the law. How can you tell someone who has been raped or abused that it was their fault? That they somehow attracted the trauma into their life? The idea is absurd – and extremely damaging for those who have lived though scarring, traumatic experiences.
Whatever way you look at it, I just don’t see how anyone with a shred of humanity could look in the eyes of an innocent victim, and tell them that their suffering was somehow their fault.
2. Using the Law of Attraction for the wrong reasons
Another issue I have with the Law of Attraction is the fact that it can seemingly be used for all the wrong reasons. I’ve seen so many articles and videos around where people ‘explain’ how to use the law to ‘make’ someone fall in love with you, or to pass all your exams without ever studying, or to become instantly rich without any hard work. This idea that the Law of Attraction is just a ‘fast lane’ to success and happiness is so damaging in the long run – it discourages hard work and learning from mistakes, instead convincing people they can have anything they want at the click of their fingers. Now, while I do believe positivity can help us on our way to success, there is a balance we must find – and hard work and determination should always be present. Success feels so much better when we’ve worked our socks off for it.
On the more extreme end of “using the law for the wrong reasons”: what’s to say someone won’t use the Law of Attraction for pure evil? The law states that the universe will ensure our vision becomes a reality, so long as we remain focused and positive on the end goal – well, what if somebody’s end goal is for someone else to suffer greatly? Or for some sort of tragedy to occur? Will the universe simply allow such events to occur?
3. The Law of Attraction encourages us to be dissatisfied with our lives
Within my spiritual journey, I have also been reading into Buddhism, as I’ve found many of the teachings align with my own values and beliefs. One such teaching is that we should stop wishing for certain changes within our lives and instead focus on finding happiness and fulfilment in the present moment – only then can we be truly mindful. The Law of Attraction goes against this idea, as it involves desire and the cravings of the ego – it encourages us to focus on what’s missing from our lives, rather than being satisfied with our reality in each and every moment.
When I realised this clash between Buddhism and the Law of Attraction, it truly made me question the intentions behind the law – for it is, at its core, selfish. I don’t think it’s truly possible to practice gratitude and mindfulness while at the same time believing in such a concept – a concept which encourages us to be dissatisfied with the present moment.
This links to the damaging thought of “I’ll be happy when…” – something which simply reinforces a negative outlook on your current life. If you tell yourself that you’ll be happy e.g. when you use the law to manifest success or love, then you are just asking for further disappointment – in both your present and future life. Because: say you do manifest these goals into your life – what then? You should be ‘happy’ now – but where can you grow from there? You can never reach a state of permanent happiness, so striving for this is pointless; you have to experience sadness and grief in life in order to truly appreciate happiness. It would be healthier to strive for a fulfilling life – or better yet, to find this fulfilment within your current life. As the Buddha teaches, we must make our peace with our present life, rather than constantly wishing for more.
Building a life that is fulfilling for you is a journey, with no end goal, for we should always be growing and flourishing as individuals. And while the Law of Attraction could potentially align with this journey, by encouraging constant personal growth, there are probably many people who use the law for a “quick fix” to find false happiness, or to escape their current reality. We can never be fully mindful if we are constantly yearning for more.
While this blog post may seem very against the Law of Attraction – I am genuinely fascinated with the concept, and I wish I could fully believe in it (as I explored in a previous blog post: Exploring Spirituality in a World of Scepticism).
Even with my nagging doubts, I do continually strive to practice gratitude, visualise my goals and repeat positive affirmations. Perhaps, I believe in a certain version of the law – one which focuses on personal, positive growth, while also striving for mindfulness and fulfilment within each and every moment. We all possess a unique energy after all, so it makes sense that we could all have different experiences of the universal energies.
The Wordsmith 