Rig the Universe

Primary Proposition – The optimal way of living is to Behave as if the Universe is Rigged in Our Favor.

Not because it is a form of high thinking & living.

But because it is consistent with first order thinking, with the principles of sound behavior. (We will talk about the principles of sound behavior in a follow up post)

Secondary Proposition – This fundamental wisdom (and all the other keystone concepts to live a purposeful, full life) is imparted to us right from our childhood – through stories, advice, and behavior of others. But we cannot internalize it until we ourselves experience it in action and are able to articulate it in words that speak to us in a way that resonates with our lived experience.

And once we find the experience and its matching words, words that we feel are our own, that speak to us, it becomes part of who we are.

Ever since I’ve learned about Human Agency, the Theory of Cybernetics, NLP, & the likes of it, this premise (Behave as if the Universe is rigged in our favor, H/T to Visakan Veerasamy for introducing me to this phrase) has felt like a red car Baader Meinhof phenomenon that I see everywhere, in everything that I do.

I’ve listed below the different ways I’ve seen it articulated, and will keep adding as I find more of them. If any of them speak to you eloquently, pull the strings of your heart, match a life altering experience, feel free to make them your own, & hold on to the magical secret that only you are privy to. 

1. Fables
   1. Whatever happens happens for the best – This is the childhood fable that almost all of us have heard where some adversity, like losing a finger, or breaking a leg, eventually leads an unexpected fortunate outcome that would not have materialized in the absence of the misfortune.
   2. The Wolf that You Feed – Elderly Cherokee brave to his grandson – “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace love, hope serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.” The grandson thought and then asked, “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one that you feed.”
   3. One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it. – Jean De la Fontaine. Also Master Oogway.
2. Stoic Philosophy
   1. Amor Fati – Love of our fate. That one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it— but love it, suffering and loss included.
   2. Nietschean Yes Saying – Himself a believer of the Amor Fati way of life, Nietsche said, ‘I want to learn more and more to see as beautiful what is necessary in things; then I shall be one of those who make things beautiful.‘
   3. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
3. Karma & Actions
   1. कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन – The Bhagwad Geeta. You have the right to actions alone, not results. Be dedicated, but not attached. And therein lies the crux of being human. We get to choose our actions, results notwithstanding.
   2. The only article Lady Fortuna has no control over is your behavior. Good luck. – Nicolas Nassim Taleb in Fooled By Randomness
   3. One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things – The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
   4. Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way – Viktor Frankl
   5. Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom – Viktor Frankl
   6. What happens to you is not your fault, but it is your responsibility
4. Belief
   1. यत् भावो तत् भवति – As you think, So you become. – Sanskrit phrase.
   2. Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. – The Bible
   3. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. – Henry Ford
   4. You become what you believe, not what you think or want. – Oprah
   5. The power broker in your life is the voice that no one else hears. How well you revisit the tone and content of your private voice is what determines the quality of your life. It is the master story teller and the stories we tell ourselves are our reality – Jim Loehr
5. Literature & Poetry
   1. When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
   2. Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to realize that this, too, was a gift. – Mary Oliver, The uses of sorrow
   3. A Joy it will be, perhaps one day, to remember even this – Virgil
   4. Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional – Haruki Murakami
   5. Power resides where men believe it resides. It is a shadow on the wall, and a very small man can cast a very large shadow – Lord Varys, Game of Thrones
   6. इतनी शिद्दत से मैंने तुम्हे पाने की कोशिश की है, की ज़र्रे ज़र्रे ने मुझे तुमसे मिलाने की साज़िश की है (With such ardor have I coveted you, that every atom has conspired to make us meet) – Shahrukh Khan, Om Shanti Om
6. From Yours Truly
   • Embrace your Serendipities. And Zemblanities.
   • You are a product of all the possibilities you see for yourself, not just a consequence of all the choices you’ve made, or the circumstances you’ve found yourself in.

I sort of consider treasure hunting different ‘Behave as if the Universe is rigged in our favor‘ articulations an avocation. If you have any of yours and I’m sure there are innumerable more out there in the wild, please share them either in the comments or on email.

P.S.: This post assumes the correctness of the premise as a starting point. I will write about why in the Principles of Sound Behavior follow up I mentioned above.