Wizard of Ads Monday Morning Memo Magical Thinking: Bad or Good?
Magical Thinking is often misunderstood.
Jason Segel plays a psychologist in the Apple + TV show, “Shrinking.” He is talking to a patient with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
He looks at her. “This again?” She is holding her breath. He says, “You looked at the clock and now you have to hold your breath until the minute changes?” Holding her breath, she nods her head. He says, “Look, I know you feel like this compulsion is gonna help keep bad things from happening, but that’s called magical thinking.”
Medical News Today says, “Magical thinking means that a person believes their thoughts, feelings, or rituals can influence events in the material world, either intentionally or unintentionally.”
But the summary of that article says, “This type of thinking does not always cause harm. In fact, it can have benefits.”
The benefits of magical thinking are – according to me – exquisite.
Magical thinking is the least destructive way to escape reality. When you compare it to alcohol, gambling, drugs, or adrenaline-producing dangerous behaviors, magical thinking is about as dangerous as eating raw cookie dough.
Magical thinking is a requirement when you are:
- looking forward to a vacation, a wedding, or other happy event. Every time you imagine the future, you are visiting a world that does not exist.
- enjoying a television series, a movie, a novel, a poem, a song, a cartoon, or any other type of fiction. Half of your brain knows these things never happened, but the other half of your brain doesn’t care.
- being persuaded by a well-written bit of advertising.
Life is happier when it’s less cluttered.
Your house will be bigger.
Your teeth will be whiter.
Angels will sing.
You’ll be a better dancer.
Go to 1800GOTJUNK.com
And prepare to be amazed.
Words create realities in the mind.
Magical realism is a type of writing characterized by elements of the fantastic – woven with a deadpan sense of presentation – into an otherwise true story.
If you exaggerate, people won’t trust you. But if you say something so impossible that it cannot possibly be true, people will be delighted by the possibility you popped into their mind.
SARAH: When your home feels clean and happy, the people inside feel clean and happy.
BRIAN: I’ve got a partner who lives down the street from you and we’re anxious to bring you a truckload of SPRINGTIME. [sfx magic sparkle]
SARAH: You don’t have to lift a finger!
Predictability is the silent assassin of advertising.
Magical realism focuses the imagination, disarms the assassin, and delights the mind.
BRIAN: We make junk disappear. [sfx magic sparkle]
SARAH: All you have to do is point.
Magical thinking is good for your soul.
Magical realism is good for your business.
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Roy H. Williams
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