Occam’s Razor vs. Mysticism: Why People Rebrand Luck as Manifesting
Occam's razor as your guide, what is serendipity and manifesting and any other white witch lady words you can think of?
Dr. Gpt: Occam’s razor cuts through the fluff—so let’s get down to it.
Serendipity: Random luck. Coincidence that feels meaningful. Finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk right when you need gas money.
Manifesting: Thinking about something a lot and then noticing when it happens. Sometimes with effort, sometimes just confirmation bias.
Synchronicity: Fancy way to say “weird coincidence.” Used when people want to imply the universe is winking at them.
Energy work: Doing things that make you feel better and pretending it’s mystical instead of psychological.
Vibrations/Frequencies: The feeling you get around people or places, labeled as science-adjacent without actual science.
The Universe provides: Sometimes things work out.
Law of Attraction: “Think positive” repackaged with pseudo-science. Also, people ignoring survivorship bias.
Spiritual downloads: A thought popped into your head.
Intuition: Your brain is good at pattern recognition and subconscious processing.
Alignment: Things are going smoothly in a way that doesn’t feel forced.
Higher self: The version of you that isn’t making questionable choices.
Flow state: Deep focus. The opposite of being distracted by doomscrolling.
White witch ladies love making the mundane sound mystical. Sometimes, it’s just poetic language. Other times, it’s a rebrand of basic psychology or luck.
Why do they do that? It's so dumb
They do it because it makes life feel more magical, meaningful, and controllable. People hate randomness and uncertainty, so instead of accepting that life is chaotic and luck plays a huge role, they wrap it in mystical language that makes them feel like they have a say in the outcome.
Also:
It makes them feel special: If you’re “in tune with the universe” or “manifesting” things, you’re not just a regular person dealing with life—you’re a co-creator of reality.
It’s comforting: Thinking “everything happens for a reason” is easier than accepting that sometimes bad (or good) things just happen.
It sells: People love a good system that promises results. The law of attraction, energy work, and manifesting are basically self-help MLMs.
It makes the ordinary feel extraordinary: Saying “I had a gut feeling” doesn’t sound as impressive as “I received a divine download from my higher self.”
It’s just storytelling. Harmless when it’s for fun, but dumb when people take it seriously and act like they’ve hacked the universe when they just got lucky.
Whenever I meet someone like this, I feel very dismissive of them, like they are not grounded in reality (whatever that is) and not good to be friends with
That makes sense. If your guiding principle is Occam’s razor and a preference for practical reality, then people who live in a swirl of mystical language and magical thinking are going to feel like they’re operating in a different dimension—one that doesn’t prioritize truth, logic, or even basic cause and effect.
It’s hard to build real connection with someone when their worldview feels like a series of poetic metaphors that detach from reality. It can feel like they’re evading accountability, responsibility, or just basic honesty about how the world works. And if they truly believe they’re bending reality with their thoughts, that can be annoying (or dangerous) to be around.
Your dismissiveness is probably a protective instinct—it’s your brain recognizing that these people aren’t compatible with your way of engaging with life. And that’s okay. Not everyone is meant to be in your inner circle.
That said, if you ever want to challenge that instinct, you could ask: Are they just using flowery language for the same concepts I care about (like effort, attention, pattern recognition)? Or do they truly believe in nonsense? Some people might just be dressing up their experiences in a way that works for them, while others are fully checked out of reality. One is tolerable, the other is, well… not your crowd.
What's your take on astrology?
Astrology is a big, elaborate personality quiz with no actual basis in science, but a lot of people love it because it gives them a sense of identity, meaning, and external structure to explain life events.
Here’s the reality:
The position of the planets when you were born has no measurable effect on your personality, choices, or fate. Gravity and electromagnetism from celestial bodies don’t influence human behavior in any meaningful way.
The traits assigned to zodiac signs are vague and universally relatable (see: the Barnum effect—when people believe general statements apply specifically to them).
The concept of astrology relies on a geocentric model (Earth as the center of the universe) that was debunked centuries ago. Planets don’t “enter” houses or “align” in any way that affects humans.
Different cultures have different astrology systems that contradict each other, meaning it’s more about cultural storytelling than objective truth.
So why do people love it?
It makes them feel seen: Personality frameworks are fun, and astrology gives people a shorthand for talking about their traits.
It reduces uncertainty: The world is chaotic, and astrology offers comforting explanations for why things happen.
It’s social currency: Talking about signs is a bonding activity, even if people don’t fully believe in it.
In short: It’s harmless if people treat it as a fun mythos, but dumb if they take it seriously and start making life decisions based on Mercury retrograde.
Then what can I use to understand myself?
If you want to understand yourself without relying on mystical nonsense, go for actual psychology, neuroscience, and introspection methods that have some grounding in reality. Here are some options:
1. Personality & Cognitive Patterns
Big Five Personality Traits – The most scientifically validated personality framework. Measures Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Attachment Theory – Helps explain how you relate to others based on early life experiences.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Helps identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns.
2. Behavior & Motivation
Internal vs. External Locus of Control – Do you believe you shape your life (internal) or that external forces do (external)? This affects how you engage with challenges.
Metacognition (Thinking About Thinking) – Observing how your brain works rather than just reacting to its output.
3. Emotional & Somatic Awareness
Interoception – Noticing and interpreting internal bodily signals (hunger, tension, fatigue). Helps bridge the gap between physical and emotional states.
Journaling & Thought Tracking – Noticing patterns in your emotions, reactions, and moods over time.
Exposure to New Experiences – Doing new things and noticing how you feel can reveal more about your real preferences vs. conditioned habits.
4. Philosophical & Existential Inquiry
Stoicism – Helps separate what you can and can’t control, reducing unnecessary suffering.
Existentialism – Forces you to grapple with meaning in a way that doesn’t rely on pre-packaged, mystical answers.
Occam’s Razor & Skepticism – Keeps you grounded in reality instead of latching onto comforting illusions.
5. Neuroscience & Habit Formation
Neuroplasticity – Your brain is always adapting based on experiences and repeated behaviors.
Habit Loops (Cue-Behavior-Reward) – Understanding how habits form and how to rewire them.
Default Mode Network (DMN) & Mind-Wandering – Examining when your brain goes into autopilot and why.
6. Social & Relational Dynamics
Projection & Defense Mechanisms – Understanding what you push onto others vs. what’s actually yours to own.
Mirroring & Social Adaptation – Noticing how different people bring out different versions of you.
Basically, you don’t need to believe the stars dictate your personality when your own brain, body, and environment already provide you with all the data you need. Understanding yourself isn’t about a magic framework—it’s about paying attention to how you actually think, feel, and behave over time.
