Why Prayer Is Not Answered by Marion Zimmer Bradley

LessWrong is hosting an essay by science fiction author Marion Zimmer Bradley on why prayers and wishes often go unanswered. Bradley argues the mechanism isn't flawed—it's that most people don't actually want what they claim to want. She illustrates the point with a story: imagine a student who's spent four years working toward a college degree, who says he dreams of traveling to Europe more than anything in the world. If someone offered him a plane ticket that left in twenty minutes, would he take it? Bradley suggests he wouldn't—because he really wants his diploma and the trip, and when forced to choose, he picks the diploma. The gap between what we think we want and what we actually want, Bradley argues, is where most prayers go to die. She contrasts that with figures like Francis of Assisi, who wanted to serve God so intensely that he gave up wealth, family approval, and comfort. The implication: you can have what you truly want, as long as you actually want it more than anything else.

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