Comments on: The Secret: A Rant Against Self-Help Pseudo-Science http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167 fixing the world, one mind at a time Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:33:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Narayanan PV http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-39421 Narayanan PV Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:23:26 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-39421 The Secret on its own cannot work for anyone. But people who buy books like Secret, in reality, are looking for tools and shortcuts which somehow will help them attain 'desires'. These books also help to escape from the harsh realities of life. Self-help books sell because of our unlimited and often difficult wants. I have seen the same self-help books being read by an office secretary and CEO of a multinational company (7 Habits series, Paulo Coelho, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Life Matters..... and amongst others Secret). You'd imagine that the Secretary reading it to become a senior executive but what about the successful CEO. In fact, my highly successful insurance agent friend who is the topper in his company was also reading it and he recommended me the DVD. He is a mega success, actually speaking from where he started. And here's an interesting fact. Since I know him for years, I know that he did not even know what was self-help in all these years while he was becoming successful. Recently, he noticed some client of his reading Secret and he went over bought the DVD and the book. But I also know that only a few months back he had bought a book on how to become successful in selling -- imagine he has been a topper in his company consistently for many years. New desires which are difficult to fulfill? perhaps. I think people read self-help books and attend such seminars for a variety of complex reasons. But this is for sure and a no brainer -- If you want something in life, you have to work for it. My insurance agent friend is on the field all the time. Where people generally say 'thought' driving (or 'attracting') anything, I'd replace the word thought with 'desire'. When you have strong desires, you look for tools to attain them and self-help books seem to be one of them. The Secret on its own cannot work for anyone. But people who buy books like Secret, in reality, are looking for tools and shortcuts which somehow will help them attain ‘desires’. These books also help to escape from the harsh realities of life. Self-help books sell because of our unlimited and often difficult wants. I have seen the same self-help books being read by an office secretary and CEO of a multinational company (7 Habits series, Paulo Coelho, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Life Matters….. and amongst others Secret). You’d imagine that the Secretary reading it to become a senior executive but what about the successful CEO. In fact, my highly successful insurance agent friend who is the topper in his company was also reading it and he recommended me the DVD. He is a mega success, actually speaking from where he started. And here’s an interesting fact. Since I know him for years, I know that he did not even know what was self-help in all these years while he was becoming successful. Recently, he noticed some client of his reading Secret and he went over bought the DVD and the book. But I also know that only a few months back he had bought a book on how to become successful in selling — imagine he has been a topper in his company consistently for many years. New desires which are difficult to fulfill? perhaps. I think people read self-help books and attend such seminars for a variety of complex reasons. But this is for sure and a no brainer — If you want something in life, you have to work for it. My insurance agent friend is on the field all the time. Where people generally say ‘thought’ driving (or ‘attracting’) anything, I’d replace the word thought with ‘desire’. When you have strong desires, you look for tools to attain them and self-help books seem to be one of them.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-20739 Anonymous Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:54:11 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-20739 The Mother of All Get Rich Quick Schemes is to write a book about a Get Rich Scheme! The Mother of All Get Rich Quick Schemes is to write a book about a Get Rich Scheme!

]]> By: Tori Deaux http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-18238 Tori Deaux Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:34:23 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-18238 @ME Ever been Dumpster Diving? There are sometimes pretty cool treasures to be found in garbage piles - but the piles themselves are still garbage, and the good stuff still needs the coffee grounds and banana peels scrapped off! ;) @ME Ever been Dumpster Diving? There are sometimes pretty cool treasures to be found in garbage piles – but the piles themselves are still garbage, and the good stuff still needs the coffee grounds and banana peels scrapped off! ;)

]]> By: ME http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-18062 ME Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:53:57 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-18062 You can not simply describe the whole film as 'garbish'. It does have several cores of truth in it. You can not simply describe the whole film as ‘garbish’. It does have several cores of truth in it.

]]> By: Care-i secretul “Secretului”? Şi, de ce atît de mulţi sînt atraşi de “Legea atracţiei”? « Gimnastică intelectuală pe chestiuni biblice http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-15542 Care-i secretul “Secretului”? Şi, de ce atît de mulţi sînt atraşi de “Legea atracţiei”? « Gimnastică intelectuală pe chestiuni biblice Sat, 10 May 2008 11:27:25 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-15542 [...] http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167 (de aici, m-am “inspirat” cel mai mult în ce-am scris) [...] [...] http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167 (de aici, m-am “inspirat” cel mai mult în ce-am scris) [...]

]]> By: bev http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-4849 bev Sat, 27 Oct 2007 18:53:27 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-4849 Sorry M.T. I addressed you as M.K., but U know who you are. Sorry M.T.
I addressed you as M.K., but U know who you are.

]]> By: bev http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-4848 bev Sat, 27 Oct 2007 18:41:13 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-4848 Hi M.K. I'm still around and I'm glad you're keeping the wool out of your eyes. And you're absolutely right that nothing happens without action. If I may paraphrase myself, every thing manifested is a thought that precedes ACTION. Our thoughts can and do change the physical world. For example 100+ years ago clean air and water were a given. Now we must travel far to find it. I live in NYC, collective thoughts and actions(careless chemical dumping,fossil fuel burning etc.) have instigated my personal thought and action to use a water filter. Even though "they" say NY has some of the "best" drinking water in the country, tests still show many adverse chemicals and bacteria present in the water and many people choose to use alternative sources for drinking water. This is just one of the myriad instances of how thoughts effect actions that create our reality. Simply, the action never happens w/o the thought. Think about it. Peace Hi M.K.
I’m still around and I’m glad you’re keeping the wool out of your eyes.
And you’re absolutely right that nothing happens without action. If I may paraphrase myself, every thing manifested is a thought that precedes ACTION.
Our thoughts can and do change the physical world. For example 100+ years ago clean air and water were a given. Now we must travel far to find it. I live in NYC, collective thoughts and actions(careless chemical dumping,fossil fuel burning etc.) have instigated my personal thought and action to use a water filter. Even though “they” say NY has some of the “best” drinking water in the country, tests still show many adverse chemicals and bacteria present in the water and many people choose to use alternative sources for drinking water. This is just one of the myriad instances of how thoughts effect actions that create our reality. Simply, the action never happens w/o the thought.
Think about it.
Peace

]]> By: M.T. http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-4730 M.T. Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:09:11 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-4730 Hi Bev, if you're still around. It took me a while to decide how to respond. Are thoughts important? Yes. Does what we think about, and how we think impact our life? Yupp - in fact, the nifty neuro-science guys have pretty much proven that thought patterns can actually change the brain itself. Do thoughts 'create reality'? Only in the loosest sense. Our thoughts can impact and even create our perceptions and experience of the physical world, and ur thoughts can impact how we interact with the physical world. But our thoughts do not create or change the physical world. That takes action. Thoughts alone do not change the world, not even thoughts wrapped in psuedo-science and pretty packaging. As for the "sheeple" comment... I do try to keep the wool out of my eyes ;) Hi Bev, if you’re still around.

It took me a while to decide how to respond.

Are thoughts important? Yes. Does what we think about, and how we think impact our life? Yupp – in fact, the nifty neuro-science guys have pretty much proven that thought patterns can actually change the brain itself.

Do thoughts ‘create reality’? Only in the loosest sense.

Our thoughts can impact and even create our perceptions and experience of the physical world, and ur thoughts can impact how we interact with the physical world. But our thoughts do not create or change the physical world. That takes action.

Thoughts alone do not change the world, not even thoughts wrapped in psuedo-science and pretty packaging.

As for the “sheeple” comment… I do try to keep the wool out of my eyes ;)

]]> By: bev http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-4620 bev Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:27:19 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-4620 Micheal wrote "you'll never plough a feild by turning it over in your mind" true enough but I bet before you got to the feild you thought of it first, had a vision of the action each time, from the time you opened your eyes in the morning and THOUGHT of what you'd do that day and every thought that's manifested precedes ACTION. Of course EVERYTHING starts with thought. And of course "The Secret" is quite oversimplified and lacks depth and of course is a marketed product, but the underlying idea that our thoughts and beliefs create reality is sound. Of course there are adverse life experiences that boggle the mind ie a 5yr old being molested by an adult; where was the child's thought in that the child's thought certainly didn't attract the action but the molester's did and maybe even the thought's and fears of the parents and the child's thought's that direct his/her life as they grow up will make the difference in how well adjusted and successful they can be in spite of the awful experience. Whether on an individual level or mass population level, thoughts, ideas, and beliefs create reality which is why it is so easy to manipulate our minds through the media,religion, and all levels of the so called education systems. This plays out throughout the world whether in affluent, materially successful countries or those plagued with poverty and disease( and no i'm not blaming victims). Remember now "3rd world" nations(ie. Africa,Asia, S. America) were once flourishing, autonomous king/queendoms and empires. What thoughts, beliefs and actions caused their fall. Wake up Sheeple it's all a MIND game. while we debate over the "Secret" the GAME PLAYS ON. Micheal wrote “you’ll never plough a feild by turning it over in your mind” true enough but I bet before you got to the feild you thought of it first, had a vision of the action each time, from the time you opened your eyes in the morning and THOUGHT of what you’d do that day and every thought that’s manifested precedes ACTION. Of course EVERYTHING starts with thought. And of course “The Secret” is quite oversimplified and lacks depth and of course is a marketed product, but the underlying idea that our thoughts and beliefs create reality is sound. Of course there are adverse life experiences that boggle the mind ie a 5yr old being molested by an adult; where was the child’s thought in that the child’s thought certainly didn’t attract the action but the molester’s did and maybe even the thought’s and fears of the parents and the child’s thought’s that direct his/her life as they grow up will make the difference in how well adjusted and successful they can be in spite of the awful experience.
Whether on an individual level or mass population level, thoughts, ideas, and beliefs create reality which is why it is so easy to manipulate our minds through the media,religion, and all levels of the so called education systems. This plays out throughout the world whether in affluent, materially successful countries or those plagued with poverty and disease( and no i’m not blaming victims). Remember now “3rd world” nations(ie. Africa,Asia, S. America) were once flourishing, autonomous king/queendoms and empires. What thoughts, beliefs and actions caused their fall. Wake up Sheeple it’s all a MIND game. while we debate over the “Secret” the GAME PLAYS ON.

]]> By: William K. Wolfrum » Blog Archive » Oprah Winfrey needs to stop promoting pseudoscientific nonsense http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167&cpage=1#comment-3769 William K. Wolfrum » Blog Archive » Oprah Winfrey needs to stop promoting pseudoscientific nonsense Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:27:53 +0000 http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=167#comment-3769 [...] “The Secret” is pseudoscientific nonsense goes without saying. At least it should. But with Oprah pushing it, [...] [...] “The Secret” is pseudoscientific nonsense goes without saying. At least it should. But with Oprah pushing it, [...]

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