The Secret’s Out and It’s not Worth Repeating
Newsweek’s Jerry Adler put into writing all the thoughts swirling around my mind about the popular new book, “The Secret,” by Rhonda Byrne. I had typed out half of a post for this blog and had basically said the same things he said in his first paragraph. I hadn’t gotten much further than ….”the absolute LAST thing our society needs is encouragement to become MORE self-obsessed and self-absorbed…” The Secret actually teaches the reader to avoid certain people - even looking at them could be bad for you.
How could anyone get so wrapped up in themselves like that? To the point of thinking of others only in terms of what they mean to yourself? This person’s overweight….or struggling with money problems…or facing a troubled relationship…or has a character flaw - I’ll just mark them and avoid them. Nice.
There are shreds of truth behind the books thinking - our thoughts are very, very important. But, come on, they don’t make the scale go up - calories do.
If you want to lose weight, you eat less/exercise more. It all reminds me of what we hashed out in our last post - people flee from the simple and think there MUST be some hidden code holding all the answers….a Secret.
It’s all a marketing circus - and a successful one, at that. The author - and others involved, will be rolling in cash while the readers are left rolling in something else. It’s actually, in my opinion, a pretty dangerous book.
None of us are God and we shouldn’t try to play God, even with ourselves. There is no hidden, secret, mythical, mysterious little trick to getting what you want or curing what you have. The book was, and is, a means of making money. Plain and simple.
I hope you’ll read the Newsweek article in it’s entirety.
If anyone is a fan of the book’s, let me apologize for the toes I just stepped on. Everyone, including me, has their own opinions and have to do what they think is best - and, personally, I’m on board with those who think this book is bad news.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
well said
“the secret” is probably the cruelest of all philosophies being espoused as scientific law and truth.
kudos for your thoughts
kevin hogan
author of The Psychology of Persuasion
http://www.kevinhogan.com
I like your comments about our being too self-absorbed.
Even if one doesn’t care about all the material promises made in the movie, the very nature of the “law” itself turns one inward and often makes one out of touch with reality.
A preacher named Harry Emerson Fosdick once wrote ,
“…turning attention to oneself in the earnest endeavor to improve oneself may only
increase obsession with oneself, which is the root of the mischief.”
How true. How true.
Someone has finally put out a positive movie that makes people think, and take control of their lives instead of placing blame on other people.
The Secret isn’t about getting more things, and becoming more obsessed with possessions… but instead about becoming a better person.
The message that we get back whatever vibrations that we send out, will be an epiphany to many. That is a good thing, there is far to much negativity in this world currently.
For once, something arrives on the scene to make the masses think, and all these people [negative people] can’t deal with people taking control of their lives.
Oh well, you get out of life, what you put into it. Some settle for mediocrity and attack excellence.
Par for the course.
You’re not the only one who thinks The Secret is “a pretty dangerous book”. Kevin Hogan does, too.
http://www.kevinhogan.com/secret-truth-behind-lie.htm
And so do I.
Thanks so much for the great comments (and e-mails). Whether they’re in harmony with my thoughts or not, they’re great comments and I appreciate them.
to me it’s a counterfeit of the real thing!!!
Well said, Gil!
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