Luck (part 2) - Murphy’s Law

Many perceive life is an antagonistic force against them. How sad. Actually how awful. Yet how many times do we feel that “Murphy” is after us? Who is this Murphy and what does his law have to do with how we understand luck?  Let’s dive in!

The term “Murphy’s Law” was first made public by US Air Force project lead Dr. John Stapp during a press conference. He and his team were researching rapid deceleration and its effect on pilots and discovered: “If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.”

There are many versions of this “Law” (aka Sod’s Law), passed down by humas since forever. This “aptitude for ineptitude” must be strategically bypassed. If possible. Some versions are less hopeful, leaving us more or less pawns of this inevitably perverse force.

What some may call simply bad luck.

In these views the malevolent force is too strong. Over-powering. Once convinced, adherents start to see bad luck everywhere, constantly reminding them of this sad reality. The “poor me” mantra begins and soon a “victim” mentality is birthed.

We tend to produce what we think about. Manifest destiny. Our thought life is extremely powerful in this way - capable of producing constant reinforcement for our beliefs, whatever they happen to be. What we think most about becomes our reality.

So…can we change the way we think about bad luck?

This simple idea could give us power over outside circumstance, even bad luck. It opens the possibilitiy that our thinking causes reality to change. This is opposite of a fatalistic view of Murphy’s Law—that we have no control over deviant outside forces.

The strict fatalist sees their own beliefs not as a choice but simply as accepting reality. In so doing, ironically, they produce the results they create. Like anyone, they selectively choose evidence (assuming objectivity), mostly to support their beliefs.

A fatalist would strongly disagree. But this is the crux of the issue: do we have power to think our way around bad luck? Even if relative power, could it be enough? For if the fatalist could see their closed view as a choice, how would that change reality?

That crack in the fatalistic armor could open up a whole new world.   

Are we willing and able to believe in our own freedom?  Are we willing to accept that the universe might looks to us in anticipation with the simple question: what do you want?  Though we long at times for it simply to tell us what to do, it does not.

The universe will not determine our plans.  It certainly may guide our steps. But steps assume some sort of plan, and the faith to walk in those plans. The steps themselves assume the greatest proof of trust: we are actually moving.

If we are moving, we are free.  If we recognize we are moving. Some move freely but completely unaware. They go here and there without recognizing this autonomy.  They will slowly assume the plans of another, pobably the will of a malevolent universe.

Don’t fall for it. Recognize your freedom before it is gone.