The Backwards Law

The Backwards Law (Alan Watts): the idea that the more you pursue feeling better all the time, the less satisfied you become, as pursuing something only reinforces the fact that you lack it in the first place. 

The more you desperately want to be rich, the more poor and unworthy you feel, regardless of how much money you actually make. The more you want to be sexy and desired, the uglier you come to see yourself, regardless of your actual physical appearance. The more you desperately want to be happy and loved, the lonelier and more afraid you become, regardless of those who surround you. 

Thus, wanting positive experiences is a negative experience – and accepting negative experiences is a positive experience.

Micro-moments of Joy

"Triggers" are widely understood, but few people know about their opposite: glimmers.

A glimmer is the exact opposite of a trigger. It's a kind of cue, either internal or external that brings one back to a sense of joy or safety. It can be anything from catching a view of the skyline of your favorite city, to seeing a picture of your pet.

The term glimmer was introduced in 2018 in the book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation by licensed clinical social worker Deb Dana. It was popularized by a viral TikTok video in 2022 by psychologist Dr. Justine Grosso.

Put simply, glimmers are great for our mental health. On a bad day, or when we're moving through a more difficult chapter, glimmers can offer you a reset button. And from there, a healthier headspace gives you more energy and inspiration to do the things that might otherwise feel hard.

They're micro-moments that make us feel happier, hopeful, safe, and connected. And the best thing is, we can easily access them by looking for them.

Seek out more glimmers in your day for a happier, calmer, and more connected life.

The Backwards Law

The Backwards Law was popularized by Alan Watts, but it actually comes from Tao Te Ching, the 2000-year-old classic Chinese text which became the basis of Taoism. It is the idea that the more you pursue feeling better all the time, the less satisfied you become, as pursuing something only reinforces the fact that you lack it in the first place. 

The more you desperately want to be rich, the more poor and unworthy you feel, regardless of how much money you actually make. 

The more you want to be sexy and desired, the uglier you come to see yourself, regardless of your actual physical appearance. 

The more you desperately want to be happy and loved, the lonelier and more afraid you become, regardless of those who surround you. 

The more we pursue trying to feel better all the time, the more we reinforce this idea that we are fundamentally lacking and irreparable.

Watts describes it as being in a lake. If you relax and put your head back, you’ll float. But the more you struggle and flail around trying to stay afloat, the more you will sink. Thus, wanting positive experiences is a negative experience – and accepting negative experiences is a positive experience!

This Too Shall Pass

The worst kind of suffering is the one you know there might be a way out of.

If there’s no way out of it, it becomes easier to bear.

~ Alan Watts

Make Hay while the Sun Shines

Why are we here? We couldn’t choose it...the chance of us being born. That sperm hitting that egg - 400 trillion to one. We’re just lucky and this is a holiday. We didn’t exist for 14 and a half billion years. Then we get 80 or 90 years - if we’re lucky. And then we’re never going to exist again. So let's make the most of it.

Your ambition means nothings without execution.

Time to start those mid-year resolutions. You know, the ones you said you'd do back in January...

Every morning can be the first data point of a new goal. Setting goals and reviewing them frequently is one way to keep your focus on what’s important, and to help you take action that will ultimately move you closer toward where you want to go. Yes it totally screams of effort, but the time is going to pass whether you do or don't. Pick something. Anything.

Success comes from being persistent.

The fact that these exist makes me a happier humanoid.

So put down that paper IMMEDIATELY - and bury your face in to some of these classics.


How many lies could Pinocchio tell before it became lethal?
Does Winnie the Pooh have a B12 Deficiency?
If Clouds Really Had Silver Linings
Defecating a Brick
Powering Disney’s Frozen with a Carnot Refrigerator
Effects of Dumping Pig Manure into a Lake –The Simpsons Movie
How much energy would be required for Game of Thrones dragon Viserion to destroy the Wall?
The Viability of coming in like a Wrecking Ball
Playing ‘The Floor is Lava’ in Real Life
Breaking Bad: Gus Fring’s Face Blown Off
How Long Would It Actually Take To Catch Them All?
Simply Walking into Mordor: How Much Lembas Would the Fellowship Have Needed?
"So hungry I could eat a horse!" - Could it be done?
Unbelievable Tekkers
How fast could a mermaid swim?
How far would The Proclaimers walk for you?
Temperature decrease in the brain from a Slush Puppie
Is purple rain possible?
Buddy the Elf’s Health Problems
The Range of the Dragon Shout in Skyrim
Could you survive on celery alone?
Slapping Someone Into Next Week
Are the Hometrees in James Cameron’s Avatar Structurally Possible?
Spidey Motion
Is it possible to cry a river?
The Viability of Throwing Giant Tortoises onto Mines


Pdfs for these available and many other page-turners here: Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics

Your eyes will fizz. Thank me later.

Little by little, a little becomes a lot...I hope

The grind to get to where I want to be is utterly relentless. Laziness may pay off now, but hard work has a future. I think I need to subscribe more to the adage of "enjoying the journey", and make the goal secondary. Hard though.

 

Testing times.