As someone who has subscribed to a lot of psychological and spiritual ideas over the past 14 years, I noticed that many, if not most, of them correlate to each other in some way. Hence, I'm starting a series on this blog to explore their similarities and connections. The first one I’ll be discussing is Premature Goal Sharing.
Pregnancy news in its embryonic stage. A new blog or social media page before its foundation day. An intention to lose weight through dieting and a gym membership. A travel plan that was proclaimed before your visa approval. Imagine all these endeavors being broadcast before reaching a particular stage of fruition or success. I know you’ll agree that most of the time, they get postponed, if not cancelled, or are not heard of again until months or even years later.
A lot of new-age gurus and motivational experts, from thought leaders Jack Ma and Jordan Peterson to Kabbalah maestro David Ghiyam, say that you should never share your plans for a certain amount of time until there’s some kind of physical manifestation or progress in them.
In thought leadership, sharing or talking about your plans before starting them can be a “recipe for disaster.” When you announce a goal to others and they acknowledge it with praise, your brain can be tricked into thinking that your goals have been accomplished. This acknowledgement or feedback alone triggers dopamine release and can reduce your drive to do the necessary work. This phenomenon is based on Peter Gollwitzer and Paschal Sheeran’s 2009 paper entitled “When Intentions Go Public,” where they hailed it as “Social Reality.”
In some new age spiritual beliefs or wisdom, sharing your plans may attract the “evil eye.” According to David Ghiyam and the Kabbalah Centre, the concept of the “evil eye” (Hebrew: Ayin Hara) is a real, negative energetic force. “It isn’t just about someone intentionally wishing harm upon you; it can be an unconscious emission of jealousy or ill will from anyone, even a friend or loved one.”
The Kabbalistic concept of the evil eye might be confusing and nonsensical to some, so let me clarify it. David Ghiyam said that the early stages of any creation are the most vulnerable. At that point, the energy of that endeavor is at its “embryonic” or “seed” level. If there are no clear sprouts to the seed yet, it might be harder for them to flourish and bloom. Therefore, Ghiyam recommends keeping those new beginnings private to protect them from the forces of envy or judgment.
In many of the podcasts where Ghiyam appeared, he constantly discussed the “evil eye” in relation to early-stage pregnancy. He advised against announcing a pregnancy in the first trimester. Here’s his repeated example: when you announce your pregnancy to your friend who has a hard time conceiving a child. Even if she might genuinely be happy for you, the news might make her feel bad about her situation, so even if the lack isn’t necessarily directed at you, it can still create a spiritual opening for negativity. Hence, waiting after the first trimester before your pregnancy announcement gives your baby time to grow and develop in a protected, private, and energetic space.
Now, let me give you an example of sharing your personal plans or projects. Let’s say you’re planning to create a new blog and are excited about it. Your joy might be met with unconscious envy or doubt. These can then lead to challenges, delay, or failure, because the evil eye, by the word evil itself, is such a negative phenomenon. Again, if possible, do the work in secrecy and make sure it’s done before you reveal it.
The same is true with your achievements. Ghiyam also emphasized the importance of practicing humility. Sometimes, when we’re proud of our accomplishments, like landing a new job, we might be tempted to share it so much that we might invite envy and the evil eye. Hence, it’s wise to keep your new blessings private until they are more secure and established.
Do I believe in the evil eye or the teachings of Kabbalah? Yes, I do. In fact, I’ve been practicing it for almost a year now. There’s a lot to unpack in Kabbalah, and so far, its teachings have worked for me.
Regarding the concept of the evil eye, I can recall several instances where I prematurely announced projects or campaigns before they were even sorted out, and yes, they did not push through. It would be unfair to the people I shared it with, and I’m not blaming them (I learned not to blame people and take accountability for myself). Every experience doesn’t necessarily apply to attracting evil eye, but I do not discount its possibility. That’s not to say that I completely stopped sharing prematurely, too. Trust me. I still struggle with it.
The Correlation and Difference Between Thought Leadership and New Age Teachings in terms of Premature Sharing
Gollwitzer and Sheeran’s Social Reality is based on behavioral psychology and neuroscience, which distinguishes it from spiritual ideas. The cause of its disaster is internal. After announcing your goal and receiving acknowledgement from a friend, you get a sense of fake accomplishment caused by the dopamine release. Your brain sabotages your ability to follow through with your plan or project.
Meanwhile, the “evil eye” concept of Kabbalah and other spiritual and metaphysical beliefs juxtapose the psychological effect. The cause for misfortune is external and energetic. Premature sharing may attract negative energy–an external force that might block your plans.
Now, what’s their correlation? Let’s take the pregnancy example. Even if you share your pregnancy announcement with people who have children and are genuinely happy for you without any envy, you might invite several unsolicited opinions, advice, and expectations from them. This attention might pressure you and divert your focus away from your own choices and personal journey.
Either way, announcing too early creates some sort of instability or vulnerability in your pregnancy or project. In this regard, there’s some secular parallel between the spiritual and psychological concepts. Keeping the news or a new project shields it from the influence of the outside world.
The featured photo in this article was sourced from ismail yazıcı on Unsplash.
