The Law of Distraction: Mindlessness is the Root of All Evil

Some say there’s no such thing as evil. I think that’s wishful thinking. You can’t make something go away by pretending it doesn’t exist, and it’s mindless to try.

The Law of Distraction

One of the reasons I don’t subscribe to the Law of Attraction is that some use it as an excuse to turn a cold eye to the suffering of others, claiming it’s purely the result of their “bad vibrations”. That’s mindless too.

Yes, some people are their own worst enemies and bring suffering upon themselves through their own mindless behavior. You can count me among them. But others suffer due to circumstances beyond their control.

It’s illogical, unscientific, and mindless to blame the victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis for their fate. These random acts of nature have natural causes, none of which have anything to do with the frequency at which the inhabitants of a village, island, country, or continent were vibrating.

And you can eat all the right foods, do all the right exercises, get all the rest you need, and still suffer illness and die. Our bodies are imperfect. We age. Things break down. Things go wrong, and it’s not always our fault. In the end, no one gets out alive. It’s mindless to think otherwise.

And some suffer at the hands of others. Throughout history, countless innocent people have been enslaved, tortured, discriminated against, and exterminated. This is what I call evil, the willful harming of another human or even a nonhuman for some mindless purpose. I also think it’s mindless and evil to blame the victim and turn your back on them.

Lead Us Not Into Mindlessness

I’m sure you’ve noticed my frequent use of the word mindless. I’m using it because I’ve come to believe that mindlessness is the root of all evil.

We’re all capable of evil, because we’re all capable of being mindless. It’s such an easy thing to be and incredibly tempting when we’re feeling angry, afraid, and vulnerable.

There Must Be Many Ways to Leave Your Mind Behind

It’s easier to mindlessly stereotype groups of people than it is to mindfully deal with people as individuals.

It’s tempting to mindlessly dehumanize people by calling them names (japs, homos, Jesus freaks, infidels, right-wing nuts, left-wing kooks, nerds) and free ourselves from the mindful work of acceptance and understanding.

It’s easy to get caught up in mindlessly pursuing money, power, and prestige at all costs including human lives, and miss out on the benefits of mindful humility.

It’s tempting to mindlessly combat and compete and avoid the real work of mindful cooperation, collaboration, and connection.

It’s easier to mindlessly try and prove we’re right than it is to consider we might be wrong and mindfully seek the truth.

It’s tempting to mindlessly follow an authority, religion, ideology, political party, or school of thought so we don’t have to do the mindful work of thinking for ourselves.

And it’s tempting to mindlessly ignore the suffering of others and blame them for it so we don’t have to do the mindful work of helping.

Mindless is Easy. Mindless is Costly

Being mindless is easy, but it has tremendous costs. It separates us from ourselves and our fellow human beings.

Being mindful takes effort and practice. It’s something you have to cultivate, but it’s worth it.

Towards a More Mindful Future

I don’t know that it’s possible, but I firmly believe that if we could all be mindful in everything we do, there would be no need for needless suffering.

That’s one reason I’ve fallen in love with creative pursuits, and why I champion them. They teach you to be mindful. They teach you to be still and alert and grateful and open.

It doesn’t matter if it’s art or creative writing or music or entrepreneurship or scientific experimentation. When they’re pursued in a mindful way, they change you – for the better.

Maybe, if you and I can become mindfully engaged in such practices and inspire others to do the same, we can change our world for the better, and rid it of some evil.

Evil is Alive and Well by Jakob Dylan

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