91. The more peculiar an idea, the more it reveals about its time.

When looking at the history of thought, seemingly strange ideas often reflect the anxieties and desires of that era. The idea that "things will be given to you even if you do nothing" might also be an example. This is not simply a matter of "more people wanting to be lazy." Behind it lies excessive work, anxiety about the future, fatigue from competition, discomfort with society's emphasis on individual responsibility, loneliness, unease with consumerism, environmental problems, economic instability, distrust of existing systems, and a rather fundamental anxiety about whether "one is protected in this world." Therefore, stories like "the universe will not abandon you" are appealing.

92. And then, "products that eliminate anxiety" become a market.

If anxiety exists, a market will emerge to resolve it. Insurance, investment, religion, fortune-telling, self-improvement, counseling, and spirituality are all different methods, but they share common ground in addressing the uncertainty of the future.

"The Law of Attraction," also, gives the feeling that one can control the future. "Leaving it to the universe" also gives the feeling that one does not have to worry about the future. In other words, on one hand, it says, "You create reality," and on the other hand, it says, "The universe will take care of it even if you don't." They seem like complete opposites, but both have a psychological function of reducing anxiety about the future.

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