How to Stop Good Spiritual Teachings from Turning into Bad Spiritual Bullshit
Cultivate practical wisdom
Spiritual teachings are often transmitted through short memorable sayings. We humans are lazy (we like to conserve our energy) so boiling wisdom down to easily remembered formulas appeals to us. Sayings like “people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” or “the early bird catches the worm” are easy to remember and contain some truth. But the wisdom contained within cliches is easily misapplied. In the realm of spirituality, this happens frequently. When spiritual wisdom gets misapplied, the results can be galling.
Here are two examples of spiritual wisdom that often devolve into spiritual bullshit.
“How to Manifest Anything You Desire”
That’s the headline of a 2022 article published by Oprah Daily (Oprah is a big proponent of “manifesting”). “Manifesting” is the idea that with the proper actions, attitude, and focus you can bring your dreams into reality.
On one level, this is certainly true. To achieve a goal, you must first envision it and then work towards it. Understood in this way, most of us have “manifested” something. And the idea that with the proper work, we can change our circumstances is generally beneficial. But can we really “manifest anything we desire” as the article’s headline promises?
Sorry, no. There are limits.
When I was a child, I wanted to fly like Superman. I also wanted to become a professional basketball player (I’m 5’6”). These things were never going to happen, no matter how diligently I applied all the best techniques of manifesting.
My childhood fantasies have been replaced by adult ones. For example, I would always like to be in excellent health. But even if I take all the appropriate steps toward that goal, I won’t get the outcome I desire. Periodically, my health will decline. And eventually, my health will fail.
The idea that we can manifest whatever we want easily leads to misapplied blame. Any less-than-ideal outcome can be explained as a failure to manifest properly. This is a terrible and even cruel way to evaluate ourselves and others. We can’t control every outcome, even if we always bring perfect attitudes and actions to each moment.
It’s helpful and beneficial to apply the idea of “manifesting” to our lives—except when it isn’t. The trick is to learn how to squeeze the truth out of the idea of “manifesting” while leaving behind the potential falsehoods.
An Attitude of Gratitude
It’s common these days to hear that we should cultivate an attitude of gratitude. To a large extent, our experience of life is a reflection of how we interpret what we encounter. If we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, we find that even though things are never perfect, there is still much to be thankful for.
A June 2023 NY Times article titled “Gratitude Really is Good for You. Here’s What the Science Shows” tells us that expressing gratitude positively affects mood, health, and relationships. Spiritual traditions build on this knowledge and regularly incorporate the expression of gratitude into their prayers and rituals.
At their best, spiritual teachings reveal how we construct our own realities. And given that we play a role in creating our own reality, spiritual teachings encourage us to choose positivity over negativity.
It’s wonderful to be around people who seek and find the good in life. But there are few things more annoying than to be preached at to “be grateful” and “stay positive” when we experience loss and sadness. And misguided attempts to stay positive by jumping over the process of mourning and grieving our losses, interrupts healthy recovery and healing.
Encouraging gratitude and positivity isn’t wrong. But it isn’t always right. Once again, the trick is knowing how and when to apply this encouragement toward gratitude.
The Middle Way
How can we retain the value contained within spiritual teachings without falling into the trap of misapplying them?
The Jewish philosopher Maimonides (1135-1204) the Christian philosopher Aquinas (1225-1274) and Buddhism, are all proponents of “the middle way” or “the golden mean.” The middle way tells us that between two poles, there is a desirable middle. For example, gratitude is good, but grasping for and expressing gratitude at inappropriate moments becomes a sort of unhealthy spiritual zealotry. The middle way tells us there’s an ideal point between never expressing gratitude and always expressing gratitude. At this ideal point, we find and express gratitude in just the right measure and at just the right moments.
This is a healthy reminder. But it only tells me that, in theory, such an ideal middle point exists. It doesn’t help me find “just the right measure at just the right moments.”
The idea of “the middle way” is helpful, but not sufficient.
Practical Wisdom
Aristotle (384-322 BCE) was also a proponent of “the middle way,” which he wrote about in his discussions of virtues. For Aristotle, virtues are the correct responses to emotions. For example, fear is an emotion that, if misapplied, can lead to either cowardice or reckless actions. For Aristotle, when experiencing fear, the correct virtue to summon is courage. Courage is “the middle way” that will allow us to take the right actions when we experience fear.
But Aristotle took the idea of “the middle way” a step further by adding the virtue of practical wisdom.
Practical wisdom is the virtue of knowing how and when to apply the other virtues. The correct application of the other virtues is itself a virtue. And Aristotle encourages us to cultivate it, just as we might cultivate the virtues of courage, patience, and truthfulness.
Aristotle knew that practical wisdom depended upon the specific details of the situation. There is no simple rule that can tell us how and when to apply the other virtues. When do we attempt to “manifest” and when do we accept the inevitability of our situation? When do we practice gratitude and when do we give ourselves over to grief? Each situation is different. Experience, Aristotle taught, is key. We learn the virtue of practical wisdom over the course of a lifetime. We sometimes get it right and sometimes get it wrong, but we can always learn from our experiences.
Unfortunately, there is no short memorable saying that does a good job of teaching practical wisdom. Practical wisdom is too complicated for clichés. But if we pay attention, we can notice when we’re getting it wrong and when we’re getting it right.
I know I don’t always get it right. But I’m always willing to examine how I got it wrong.
For example, I’ve noticed that I’m more likely to miss opportunities to express gratitude than to express it too freely. I’m trying to get better at expressing the gratitude I feel. And if I notice I’m caught in an obsessive loop of negative thinking, I actively focus on the many blessings that always surround me. These can be very simple things such as the sound of wind in the trees, the ability to move, or the beauty of birds and flowers.
When it comes to “manifesting,” I sometimes overestimate and sometimes underestimate my abilities to influence my situation. I can become passive when I should be active, and I can thrash about ineffectively when I should be practicing acceptance. So far, I haven’t discerned a clear pattern to help me recognize when I’m more likely to overestimate my abilities to actively change situations vs. underestimate those abilities. I’m still learning.
For all the virtues will be present when the one virtue, practical wisdom, will be present.
—Aristotle
I try to cultivate practical wisdom by paying close attention to when I’m getting it wrong and when I’m getting it right. This is the best way I know to avoid falling into the trap of turning good spiritual teachings into bad spiritual bullshit.
Thanks Dan. New to your Stack. Here’s an oldie but goodie I wrote on the topic.
https://deerambeau.substack.com/p/there-are-no-shortcuts-to-spiritual
Thank you for sharing your wisdom! What a great way to start my day 👏