Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in OzEvans, Robert J.
Science
Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz
Evans, Robert J.
Fantasy literature; Oz (Imaginary place) -- Juvenile fiction
"Sorry for them?" exclaimed the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug in surprise. "Why
would you be sorry for them?"
"Well, they are the real losers," said Dorothy, "for they must go
through life with all that hatred and resentment inside them. Not very
conducive to becoming a happy well-adjusted person."
"You show great insight for one so young," said the Fuzzy Yellow
Wogglebug. "What you say is so true. Yet many people fail to see it."
"It seems to me they don't want to," said Dorothy.
"But why not?" asked the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "Do they prefer to be
miserable?"
"It appears that way, doesn't it? I was just discussing this with my
friends. People are often their own worst enemy. They are at the mercy
of their thoughts, so to speak. They do not make a concentrated effort
to control their thoughts, so their thoughts control them."
"You talk as if thoughts have a mind of their own," said the Fuzzy
Yellow Wogglebug.
"In a way they do," replied Dorothy. "Of course, people's thoughts
revolve around themselves a great deal, since our main concerns are to
do with our own physical comfort. After all, everyone wants to be warm
and dry, and to be well fed and secure. So our thoughts, quite
naturally, center on our own feelings. But as a consequence, we can
become self-centered, even selfish. Some people can take selfishness to
the point of depriving others of their basic needs so they can acquire
more for themselves. A good example of this is a Dictator of a country
amassing for himself a fortune, while the majority of his people are
starving to death. Or a business which is not satisfied with a
reasonable rate of return, but extracts an exorbitantly high profit at
the expense of people who are struggling to make ends meet. Now, there
is nothing wrong with using one's own talents to make a pleasant life
for one's self; to acquire a nice home, and to have an abundant life,
for we are meant to enjoy life. But this abundant and joyous life cannot
come by taking from others what is not rightfully ours to take; but can
only come by maintaining a fair exchange of each other's goods and
services, and by leaving the element of greed out of all transactions.
Thoughts that are greedy thoughts are our mortal enemy."
"Do you know," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, "that thoughts have shapes?"
"They do?" said Dorothy in surprise. "That I didn't know."
"Oh yes, as a matter of fact, the area around the Wicked Witch's castle
is called /'Negativethoughtland./' Negative thoughts are, as you know,
the worst kind of thoughts there are; so you can imagine what monstrous
thoughts must dwell around that castle, just laying in wait for
unsuspecting travelers."
"You mean you can see them?" asked Dorothy, her eyes getting big.
"Oh, yes," answered the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "You see, every thought
you think is a new creation, so it has to go somewhere and do something.
Now, if it is a good thought, like, say...."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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