Here's the real secret of "the secret": Those who believe that "manifesting" can "cosmically attract" success are more likely to "be drawn to risky investments, have experienced bankruptcy, and to believe they could achieve an unlikely level of success more quickly," according to a new scientific study.
Lead researcher Lucas Dixon of the University of Queensland explains that people who buy into the "law of attraction" are "more likely to feel they have control over fairly uncontrollable aspects of their life — whether they get rich quick or become famous. In business, this could lead to an opportunity cost, where time is spent focusing on more uncontrollable long-term goals rather than controllable short-term goals."
Even more problematic is that believers may be more focused on magical thinking than actually doing what it takes to achieve success and reach their goals.
From the NY Post:
But some of the findings were shocking to Dixon.
"I think we expected to see overoptimism, given this seems to be part of the belief system, but some of the less obvious results, like bankruptcy and belief in getting rich quick, were surprising," he said.
"Another possibility is that people develop stronger belief in manifestation after they have had experiences with get-rich-quick schemes or having been bankrupt. This is something we yet don't know."
""The Secret" to Success? The Psychology of Belief in Manifestation" (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin)
