It shows how rational you are, but to me it sounds seductive and dangerous. Oh, not seductive to me either, but the associational logic is stronger than rationality.

Trivia note: many years ago, I was on a date with a model in Australia, and it was going well, and then she brought up these sorts of ideas, and opined that for example everyone who died in a plane crash died because of their negative thoughts - because they secretly wanted to die.

My parents had recently died of AIDS, and she knew this.

I thought to myself, "If I dispute this stupid idea, I'm not going to get laid." And then I thought, "But I can't let this idiocy go." And I felt I needed to stick up for my parents, particularly my Mum, who really did not want to die of AIDS.

I was polite, but indeed, I did not get laid. I don't regret it.