Magical Thinking

Couldn't resist this quote :

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: first by reflection which is noblest: second by imitation, which is easiest: and third by experience, which is bitterest."
-Confucius

I never really considered what Magical Thinking was, I figured it was basically superstition, fantasies, or a symptom of mental illness.
I learned, what I always perceived as hope, is in fact magical thinking. I read where it actually refers to magical thinking as the unrealistic end of hope. Not the same thing at all.
Remember the episode of the Simpsons where Homer says, I'll just hide under this pile of coats until everything works it self out. That was me most of the time, I just thought it was defeat and laziness. Sounds like it is magical thinking. Here's some briefs on magical thinking vs hope, I thought it was interesting.

- Hope keeps us moving, magical thinking causes problems that result in lack of progress.

- Hope makes us think another person may change, magical thinking makes us believe we can change another person.

- Hope can result in disappointment, magical thinking results in unintended consequences that are traumatic.

- Hope results in an ending we can accept because it simply didn't end the way we wanted it to, magical thinking results end in shock and disbelief because it didn't end the way we believed it would.

Magical thinking replaces hopeful thinking when we ignore clear, obvious or immediate consequences. ( red flags ).

Hope I'm on the mark about this.