--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To properly engage in magical thinking, I…" description: "\"“To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to think of every possible ghastly scenario. That's the only way you outsmart fate.”\" — A.J. J..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/a-j-jacobs-11588_fate_to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i_17492.png" --- # To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to… ![“To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to think of every possible ghastly scenario. That's the only way you outsmart fate.” quote by A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/a-j-jacobs-11588_fate_to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i_17492.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/a-j-jacobs-11588_fate_to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i_17492.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/a-j-jacobs-11588_fate_to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i_17492.png) > ““To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to think of every possible ghastly scenario. That's the only way you outsmart fate.”” [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embracing worst‑case imagination lets you anticipate outcomes and act proactively, turning fear into strategic advantage. **In simple terms:** Use fear to outwit destiny. Key Takeaway Plan for the worst to win. Themes strategic foresight psychology of fear risk management creative problem solving resilience Mood determined cautious empowered Type advice philosophical insight When to use this quote - crisis planning - entrepreneurial pivots - personal safety decisions - military tactics - investment risk assessment Key Concepts anticipation control agency cognitive reframing Practical Applications - scenario analysis - contingency planning Questions to Reflect On - How does imagining negative outcomes change your decision process? - When can fear become a useful tool rather than a paralyzer? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Magical thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magical-thinking/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [People often say that you should never work with child actors. I think that's all wrong. Children have not had the imagination kicked out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/people-often-say-that-you-should-never-work-with-child-actors-i-think/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [Often you hear stories about never working with children. I disagree because children still have that residual magical thinking. They haven't had their imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/often-you-hear-stories-about-never-working-with-children-i-disagree/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [“A vision without a plan is fantasy. A plan without a vision is mediocrity.  Believing 'God will do it for you' is magical thinking.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-rydall/a-vision-without-a-plan-is-fantasy-a-plan-without-a-vision-is/) [Derek Rydall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-rydall/) > [Everyone has this notion of the Middle Ages - certainly the early Middle Ages - as being this very superstitious era. I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-griffith/everyone-has-this-notion-of-the-middle-ages-certainly-the-early/) [Nicola Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-griffith/) > [We can no more tolerate neutrality and benevolence toward every conceivable form of discourse, including that of magical thinking, than we can lump together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-onfray/we-can-no-more-tolerate-neutrality-and-benevolence-toward-every/) [Michel Onfray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-onfray/) > [The Christian take on Hellfire seems less dramatic than the Muslim vision, which I grew up with, but Christian magical thinking appeals to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/the-christian-take-on-hellfire-seems-less-dramatic-than-the-muslim/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“According to a study from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, sleep deprivation reduces our emotional intelligence, self-regard, assertiveness, sense of independence, empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/according-to-a-study-from-the-walter-reed-army-institute-of-research/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [It's magical thinking to imagine that the reason unspeakable things are being perpetrated by younger and younger people is that they've fallen under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-s-magical-thinking-to-imagine-that-the-reason-unspeakable-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Play, Incorporating Animistic and Magical Thinking Is Important Because It: Fosters the healthy, creative and emotional growth of a child; Forms the best foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/play-incorporating-animistic-and-magical-thinking-is-important/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [In Hollywood, primitive magical thinking exists side by side with the most advanced technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hortense-powdermaker/in-hollywood-primitive-magical-thinking-exists-side-by-side-with-the/) [Hortense Powdermaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hortense-powdermaker/) > [Grief turns out to be a place none of us know until we reach it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/grief-turns-out-to-be-a-place-none-of-us-know-until-we-reach-it/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“There’s always a good reason to berate Oprah.  Her empire is built entirely on bullshit.  She endorses pseudo-science, she promotes psychics, she gives voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-lugeons/there-s-always-a-good-reason-to-berate-oprah-her-empire-is-built/) [Noah Lugeons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-lugeons/) > [“The world is entirely magical, the only illusion is that it isn't...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-andal/the-world-is-entirely-magical-the-only-illusion-is-that-it-isn-t/) Lydia Andal > [“In supernatural horror stories, however, magical thinking is a completely different matter. Those characters contending with what seems to be the work of magic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/in-supernatural-horror-stories-however-magical-thinking-is-a/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [“There was no need for a term like ‘magical thinking’ in the Golden Age of Man...there was only genuine everyday magic and mysticism. Children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/there-was-no-need-for-a-term-like-magical-thinking-in-the-golden-age/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) ## More by A.J. Jacobs > [“There is no better time in history to be an idiot than right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/there-is-no-better-time-in-history-to-be-an-idiot-than-right-now/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I was smart enough to know that I shouldn't tell anyone the reason I needed that icy air. No need to spill the secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-was-smart-enough-to-know-that-i-shouldn-t-tell-anyone-the-reason-i/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I'm hungry enough that I started to salivate at the sight of lettuce. I repeat: lettuce.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-m-hungry-enough-that-i-started-to-salivate-at-the-sight-of-lettuce/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“When I get it home and start to read it, the first thing I notice is that Warren has copyrighted the phrase “Purpose-driven.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/when-i-get-it-home-and-start-to-read-it-the-first-thing-i-notice-is/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“How do you gag the voice in your head that says, 'You don't have to go to the gym today. There's always tomorrow. C'mon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/how-do-you-gag-the-voice-in-your-head-that-says-you-don-t-have-to-go/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Back to the books. The world’s largest bell was built in 1733 in Moscow, and weighed in at more than four hundred thousand pounds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/back-to-the-books-the-world-s-largest-bell-was-built-in-1733-in/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“If the Britannica has taught me anything, it's to be more careful. I don't want to turn into an unseemly noun or verb or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/if-the-britannica-has-taught-me-anything-it-s-to-be-more-careful-i/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“That's what I've noticed in my experiments: almost everything in life is a self-fulfilling prophecy .Probably even believing in self-fulfilling prophecies is a self-fulfilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/that-s-what-i-ve-noticed-in-my-experiments-almost-everything-in-life/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Mr. Berkowitz clicks open his black American Tourister rolling suitcase. Inside, his tools: a microscope, an old canister with the faded label “vegetable flakes,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/mr-berkowitz-clicks-open-his-black-american-tourister-rolling/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“What seems terrible at first may turn out to be a great thing. You can't predict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/what-seems-terrible-at-first-may-turn-out-to-be-a-great-thing-you-can/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“Maybe taming my tongue will be good for me in the end. But it's pretty hard when you've got a world filled with idiots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/maybe-taming-my-tongue-will-be-good-for-me-in-the-end-but-it-s-pretty/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“I don't think I'm in the position to bestow legitimacy on anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/i-don-t-think-i-m-in-the-position-to-bestow-legitimacy-on-anyone/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“The literal Greek translation is “school for naked exercise.” Which made toweling off the stationary bike even more important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/the-literal-greek-translation-is-school-for-naked-exercise-which-made/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“The Bible is right: A deluge of images does encourage idolatry. Look at the cults of personality in America today. Look at Hollywood. Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/the-bible-is-right-a-deluge-of-images-does-encourage-idolatry-look-at/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) > [“The dehydrator blows warm air on your food for hours, sometimes days. It reminds me of the temperature and intensity of dog's breath. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/the-dehydrator-blows-warm-air-on-your-food-for-hours-sometimes-days/) [A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) [Explore all 58 A.J. Jacobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/) ## More Fate quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [When you have counted eighty years and more, Time and Fate will batter at your door; But if you should survive to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/when-you-have-counted-eighty-years-and-more-time-and-fate-will-batter/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) > [“To be a Sufi is to detach from fixed ideas and from preconceptions; and not to try to avoid what is your lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/to-be-a-sufi-is-to-detach-from-fixed-ideas-and-from-preconceptions/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [ Man blindly works the will of fate. \[Ger., Blindlings that er blos den Willen des Geschickes.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-martin-wieland/man-blindly-works-the-will-of-fate-ger-blindlings-that-er-blos-den/) [Christoph Martin Wieland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-martin-wieland/) > [Fate with impartial hand turns out the doom of high and low; her capacious urn is constantly shaking the names of all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/fate-with-impartial-hand-turns-out-the-doom-of-high-and-low-her/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Real chessplayers think about chess more or less 24 hours a day. It is a passion and a fate that one has to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simen-agdestein/real-chessplayers-think-about-chess-more-or-less-24-hours-a-day-it-is/) Simen Agdestein > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [You can't choose what stays and what stays away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/you-can-t-choose-what-stays-and-what-stays-away/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Fate and future both are servant to the determined, for they are nothing but creation of human determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fate-and-future-both-are-servant-to-the-determined-for-they-are/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [My fate cannot be mastered; it can only be collaborated with and thereby, to some extent, directed. Nor am I the captain of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/my-fate-cannot-be-mastered-it-can-only-be-collaborated-with-and/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“What would have been the fate of sages if there were no fools?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogwo-david-emenike/what-would-have-been-the-fate-of-sages-if-there-were-no-fools/) [Ogwo David Emenike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogwo-david-emenike/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) [Browse all 5,152 Fate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to think of every possible ghastly scenario. That's the only way you outsmart fate.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.J. Jacobs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i-find-you-have-to-think-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i-find-you-have-to-think-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/a-j-jacobs-11588_fate_to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i_17492.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/a-j-jacobs-11588_fate_to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i_17492.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/a-j-jacobs-11588_fate_to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i_17492.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To properly engage in magical thinking, I find you have to think of every possible ghastly scenario. That's…” — A.J. Jacobs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "A.J. Jacobs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To properly engage in magical thinking,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i-find-you-have-to-think-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/to-properly-engage-in-magical-thinking-i-find-you-have-to-think-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```