Sexton and Moger did a wondrous job teaching the many uses of
Magical Thinking in Business.
Did you know that our currency and
our legal system are based entirely on magical thinking?
In the stage version of Peter Pan, a fairy named Tinkerbell
intentionally drinks poison to prevent Peter Pan from drinking it.
Sadly, Tinkerbell is left dying, but the audience is then asked to
demonstrate that they believe in fairies by clapping. Peter shouts to the
audience, “Tinkerbell is dying because people don’t believe in fairies!
Clap if you believe in fairies! Louder! Clap louder! Tinkerbell is
dyyyyyinnnnnggg!” Sure enough, a roomful of frantically-clapping,
wet-eyed believers are enough to restore Tinkerbell back to life.
The rule of law exists only because enough people
believe and behave as though it exists. Paper money has value
only because people believe and behave as though it has value.
If enough people quit believing and behaving as though the rule of law were real, it would cease to be real. If enough people quit believing and behaving as though paper money had value, it would cease to have value.
The rule of law and paper money are real.
But never forget that they owe their existence to
“The Tinkerbell Effect,” a vital manifestation of magical thinking.