The Secret
discussion
Discussing "the secret"
Marc wrote: "In watching this discussion unfold I have come to see who I would want as neighbors, friends, or as my leaders. There is clearly one group here that seems far more happy with their lives, plays well with others, and has shown a lot more tolerance for other points of view."
I think the better question would be; would any of us want to live next door to you? It seems rather presumptuous that you are in fact a better person than someone you only know of by a handle on a message board.
Better still; what do you mean by using the word "leaders?" Do you need someone to look up to that bad that you're searching for leaders on internet message boards?
Your choice of language is very curious.
Also, there is nothing wrong with vulgarity. It is a form of expression that releases emotion. The only people who have a problem with the use of vulgarity are blow hard, tight wads who should probably look up the scientifically proven health benefits of its use before rattling off their nitwit opinion and sounding dumber than what they actually are.
I think the better question would be; would any of us want to live next door to you? It seems rather presumptuous that you are in fact a better person than someone you only know of by a handle on a message board.
Better still; what do you mean by using the word "leaders?" Do you need someone to look up to that bad that you're searching for leaders on internet message boards?
Your choice of language is very curious.
Also, there is nothing wrong with vulgarity. It is a form of expression that releases emotion. The only people who have a problem with the use of vulgarity are blow hard, tight wads who should probably look up the scientifically proven health benefits of its use before rattling off their nitwit opinion and sounding dumber than what they actually are.
Gentlemen (Will and Paul),Thanks for such thoughtful and measured replies. For starters though as you were not mentioned by name in my comment above I'm not quite sure why you have chosen to identify yourselves as vulgar, rude, and lacking tolerance of other points of view?
I'm myself wherever I am, there is no secret on-line personality that comes out every fourth full month. Thus my actions and comments here reflect my personality and manner in which I approach all aspects of my life. Your replies suggest that you have alternate personalities on-line, why? What is the point of being anything other than what you are?
Even though we are all not in each others living room locking eyes we are still a community. In my case I find the extremes dangerous. Just as I would very closely watch those who wanted to mandate every citizen carry a copy of "The Secret" and attend nightly public readings, I would also be equally concerned with those who tried to burn every copy and forbid discussion of the subject.
The reality is that some people regardless of their view of "The Secret" have an ability to contribute to the conversation. I have a bias for discussions with such individuals, I nearly always learn something and leave with more than I came.
On vulgarity... the issue is the manner of use and location. Would you use some of the words above in a class room of children, call your mother those words, or how would you feel hearing your daughter called some of those words? It's not that there has to be agreement on this subject as I fully understand we all have different standards, it's just something most people take into consideration.
Marc wrote: "or starters though as you were not mentioned by name in my comment above I'm not quite sure why you have chosen to identify yourselves as vulgar, rude, and lacking tolerance of other points of view? "
I didn't, I spoke for the people you were rude and disrespectful to. You were being hypocritical and I was pointing this out.
Thanks for your participation.
So what's the extreme opposite position of fully endorsing "The Secret,"- think and receive? Would that position be fatalism, accept what comes? On the polar extreme of The Secret" what is the correct approach to take, how much can an individual effect?
You should always strive to better yourself, increase your knowledge, and be kind and helpful to others around you when you can. This is the recipe for success in life that has worked well for me.
In fact, in the last year, even while falling to pessimism and negativity for a long stretch, I got a huge raise at work with extra benefits. Maybe my negative "frequencies" are the hero of this story, or maybe it is because that even though I was very down and negative, I persisted in my hard work, and that has been what has payed off.
(or perhaps I'm just very fortunate to be a white male who was born into a middle-class family)
Will wrote: "(or perhaps I'm just very fortunate to be a white male who was born into a middle-class family)"Funny, humility is never a bad trait to have either. Your persistence though would likely be rated as either positive thinking or at least positive action for sure.
I see that we both enjoyed the Foundation Series. I have indeed noticed that there are underlying patterns in things and often what seems random is not, it all comes back to having the right perspective.
So how much control do we actually have over events and our lives?
Marc wrote: "So how much control do we actually have over events and our lives?"Well that's entirely subjective. Some more than others.
And trust me, neither my mindset or actions were positive during that time.
I think sometimes that we have been conned into thinking we have more control than we actually do. I finished a most excellent book here a while back titled SHAM, it takes on the self-help crowd. One of my favorite quotes was."Compared to the possibilities in life, the impossibilities are vastly more numerous. In our wonderfully free society, you can try to be just about anything, but your chances of success are another thing entirely." Marilyn vos Savant
So just how fixed is reality? I've also enjoyed "Outliers", Malcolm Gladwell's book, that pretty much states individual talent is overrated, in comparison to other factors.
Marc, I'm trying to figure out where anyone said this book should be burned or no one should speak of its content. People of have said the book is stupid and asked for evidence to support their outlandish claims, however, no one has said anything about silencing people who believe.
Seems to me you are reading way too far into a few colorfully worded posts.
No one is proposing an extreme to counter the secret. In fact, you are the only person who has mentioned this. Why does there have to be an extreme way to live? Why must we burden ourselves with beliefs when we have thoughts and the power to collect information about things like physics? Does there have to be a reason why we are and why does that pseudo answer always come back to us being at the center of the universe?
The truth is; we aren't in control of anything. We are small beings; living, functioning until something comes along and kills us. Tomorrow a car could slam through your bedroom wall and kill you while you sleep. A week from now, a doctor could find fast spreading tumor on my brain, or we could all be wiped out by an asteroid.
Is that a negative way to think? Maybe, but it's realistic. The fact is; positive thoughts are nice, but negative people succeed everyday.
I give you Donald Trump Jr.
Seems to me you are reading way too far into a few colorfully worded posts.
No one is proposing an extreme to counter the secret. In fact, you are the only person who has mentioned this. Why does there have to be an extreme way to live? Why must we burden ourselves with beliefs when we have thoughts and the power to collect information about things like physics? Does there have to be a reason why we are and why does that pseudo answer always come back to us being at the center of the universe?
The truth is; we aren't in control of anything. We are small beings; living, functioning until something comes along and kills us. Tomorrow a car could slam through your bedroom wall and kill you while you sleep. A week from now, a doctor could find fast spreading tumor on my brain, or we could all be wiped out by an asteroid.
Is that a negative way to think? Maybe, but it's realistic. The fact is; positive thoughts are nice, but negative people succeed everyday.
I give you Donald Trump Jr.
Paul wrote: "The truth is; we aren't in control of anything."So what is in control, is there control, and what is the purpose of this control? Increasingly I have come to suspect that we are indeed "small beings" and perhaps even controlled by even smaller beings.
Recent research has been showing how the bacteria in your body can affect your mood, which in turn can determine what you eat. It's possible that the reality is our bacteria are having us drive a car to McDonald's for fries.
I recently finished "Notes from the Holocene" and it addressed quite a few of the questions we have been asking here. We are indeed part of something bigger, something that is both smaller and yet more complex than we can comprehend. Evidence suggests we are indeed not the center of things but rather a tool.
Of all the fatal events you mentioned above, are they just random happenings or part of a bigger cycle? As part of looking at the bigger picture, the asteroid hitting earth at some point in time is a given. Provide me with enough information and I could even tell you when and where (it's simple math), but it probably doesn't mean I can change the outcome (in spite of what the movies show).
For the bacteria in your body the car slamming through your bedroom wall is a nearly identical situation to the earth being hit by an asteroid and thus killing you. Whose safety and survival is the most important depends on who you are. Does the parasite always have the best interest of the host in mind and who has more control the parasite or the host?
Marc wrote: "Paul wrote: "The truth is; we aren't in control of anything."
So what is in control, is there control, and what is the purpose of this control? Increasingly I have come to suspect that we are inde..."
Sorry, I don't believe that we have any control over our existence minus cause and effect. Cause: sticking an object into a light socket. Effect: being electrocuted.
As far as bacteria is concerned, I've never heard of what you are proposing and rightfully, I have my doubts. It seems more than far fetched that bacteria can infect the human body to such a degree that it sends signals to the brain and controls the person to buy a big mac. That screams of bullshit to me.
People do what they do because they can and or it is the easiest route. They eat like shit because they can. It's easier to hit up a fast food joint than it is to make a wholesome meal at home. The read crap books and watch trash TV because it is easier to take in. People are lazy. They would rather visualize things in their feeble minds and wish for them than actually working towards their goals.
So what is in control, is there control, and what is the purpose of this control? Increasingly I have come to suspect that we are inde..."
Sorry, I don't believe that we have any control over our existence minus cause and effect. Cause: sticking an object into a light socket. Effect: being electrocuted.
As far as bacteria is concerned, I've never heard of what you are proposing and rightfully, I have my doubts. It seems more than far fetched that bacteria can infect the human body to such a degree that it sends signals to the brain and controls the person to buy a big mac. That screams of bullshit to me.
People do what they do because they can and or it is the easiest route. They eat like shit because they can. It's easier to hit up a fast food joint than it is to make a wholesome meal at home. The read crap books and watch trash TV because it is easier to take in. People are lazy. They would rather visualize things in their feeble minds and wish for them than actually working towards their goals.
Hi Paul,It does indeed seem quite whacked(that bacteria could influence our thoughts and actions), however the truth is indeed often stranger than the best fiction. Why should it be so improbable that we are the only species capable of altering our environment to make it more suitable for our needs?
Just as modern corn exists solely to serve humans, can we say with complete certainty that we don't exist to serve another species? How would you go about objectively proving that you are independent and have your own free will, where's the control to establish the baseline? I have attached the documentation below for your reading pleasure.
I'm not entirely following your reasoning above either. "People do what they do because they can and or it is the easiest route." There are immense differences between individuals and even societies. Some of these differences are likely genetic while more are cultural adaptations that are further influenced by peer pressures.
There are some communities where working hard or bettering yourself will backfire, yet the same actions in another location produces completely different results.
I always like to use the Irish as a good example, for some reason Ireland lurches along never quite turning the corner. On the one hand it is tempting to suggest the people are to blame (and perhaps they are as when they are all together and acting like Irish things tend to end badly), yet take these same people and disperse them around the world and you have some of the most talented and ambitious people ever seen.
My point is that your environment plays an important role in the actions your take, and the larger community that shares this environment with you also further shapes your actions.
Whose really in charge
Will wrote: "You should always strive to better yourself, increase your knowledge, and be kind and helpful to others around you when you can. This is the recipe for success in life that has worked well for me."Must I point out that you have just mentioned everything that is written in The Secret.
I think the book is meant for people who do not have the recipe to success, who do not know that if you do all those things you mentioned above and have a positive outlook on life things can workout well for you.
The book probably was not meant for you since everything works out well for you and since you already knew "the secret" all along. Some people however do not that's were the book comes in.
The mind is one of the most powerful weapons we have. It can be our greatest friend or our worst enemy. Only you get to choose which it will be. I liked this book although I believe there are other positive enlightened books out there I think the author made her point. If you noticed, a lot was repetition, when we repeat things over and over our mind is trained to thinking/acting that way. Think positive people! Safe havens weren't made for human beings. Go. Live. It.
Shelby wrote: "Must I point out that you have just mentioned everything that is written in The Secret."Exactly, I just summed up this "big" secret in one sentence, but without all of that other stuff that is completely unfounded. You can find helpful advice without delving into superstition and pseudoscience. There are tons of books out there that give similar advice to what I said, I'm sure.
So you admit that the secret works? Thanks for that. See, it wasn't that hard now was it?And yes I also know that there are many books out there that offer similar advice. I have read them as well. Such books are written, like I said earlier, to explain deeply and in simpler terms, how it all works to people who otherwise do not believe that positive thinking works.
Frankiejohnny wrote: "There are 2 types of people in the world: Those who create positive energy and those who deplete it. Which are you?I love the way you phrased it Frankiejohnny- in terms of a person's presence and mindset creating and/or depleting positive energy.
I hate to be superstitious but I made a Vision Board last year and I'm surprised at how many of the things on it have materialized.
Maybe the way the book presents positive thinking makes the process unnecessarily mystical but a lot can be said for focusing on your the things you like and want to accomplish. I think if you are constantly thinking about the good things that can happen, all your decisions will lead you towards those things.
Shelby wrote: "So you admit that the secret works? Thanks for that. See, it wasn't that hard now was it?"No, I don't admit that. Ask a starving, HIV-ridden child in Africa to think positive and see how far that gets him/her. All I "admit" to (what a silly term in this instance) is that thinking positive can be beneficial for those lucky enough to be in a position to seize opportunities when they arrive.
"Such books are written, like I said earlier, to explain deeply and in simpler terms, how it all works to people who otherwise do not believe that positive thinking works."
More is left unexplained then explained; more questions than answers from this book. I'd prefer to read a book on positive thinking that isn't meant to fool gullible people with outrageous claims that have no bearing in reality.
What true "magic", positive thinking, or will comes down to is "Think positively, then get up and work your ass off to make it happen!"
Will wrote: "Ask a starving, HIV-ridden child in Africa to think positive and see how far that gets him/her..."I do not see anything wrong with an HIV-positive (not HIV-ridden btw) child in Africa having a positive outlook on life. Science has advanced in such a way that treatment for HIV has improved over the years and continues to improve. Previously patients could only be given treatment when the the virus was still in the infant stage and not yet full blown, nowadays you can be given to patients who are in the later stages of the infection.
I have a friend, a missionary/nurse whose job, apart from caring for AIDS orphans is also to help them build morale and have goals and a positive outlook on life. They(the missionaries, that's what they call themselves) tend to spread this message more because studies have shown that people with a positive mental attitude tend to live longer than those with a pessimistic or negative mental attitude.Apart from that, they also provide scholarships and other essentials. Mind you, she often tells me of quite a number of success stories.
So yeah, I guess you can tell an HIV-positive child in Africa to think positive.
Instead of just saying try telling that to a child in Africa, we should try Will, you and I.
"I do not see anything wrong with an HIV-positive (not HIV-ridden btw) child in Africa having a positive outlook on life."I don't either.
"Science has advanced in such a way that treatment for HIV has improved over the years and continues to improve."
Which only those lucky enough to afford or receive charitable donations can take advantage of.
I don't contest anything else. I've never said positive thinking is a bad thing or that it can't be beneficial.
I don't understand some of the negative comments about The Secret. I've read it at least a dozen times, and have even watched the movie. I think there is alot of strength when she discusses the Law of Attraction. This philosophical idea is rehashed, sure, but there is alot of good information in here. And what is that? It gives you HOPE. It's a self help book. You get out of it, what you put into it. There is alot of power in positive thoughts and imagining in your mind how you would like your life to be.
If you read this thread, I answered this in message 5:"It's stupid for several reasons. 1) Thinking positive is only going to help people who are in a position to benefit from it in the first place. In other words, a starving child in Africa is not going attract food into his/her mouth from positive thinking. An extreme example, granted. 2) The book is infested with pseudoscience mumbo-jumbo about laws of attraction and frequency signals sent to the universe blah blah blah; a bunch of uncritical, lazy, made-up garbage that's meant to fool the gullible and sell lots of books and make lots of money"
This is a person willing to lie in order to sell more copies. She blames tsunami victims on their own bad thought frequencies. This is not only disgusting, insulting and demeaning to the victims and their families, but is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence, for which, of course, there is not one shred of. That is going beyond the bounds of "self-help."
There are other books which deal with positive thinking that don't try to sell you false information and outlandish claims. As I have noted, there is nothing wrong with positive thinking, and can indeed be beneficial to those with opportunities.
Nice Motivating book that gives us d msg dat we should always have confidence dat everything is gonna be alright, whatever maybe the situation.. :)
Nice book. I guess the book is telling us to keep somebody's heart,who is positive and will stay positive all his or her life.
A good book to lift your soul when you are low.Basically it is about positive thinking.
Will wrote: "This book is stupid. There, I said it. It comes down to: think positive thoughts. There's a reason this works and there's nothing secret about it; if you are positive, you will seize more opportuni..."I agree
Frankiejohnny wrote: "Will wrote: "The author knows this and is laughing all the way to the bank."Since reading this book, and practicing its principles, I was offered a position with a fortune 100 company, they put t..."
So how are you doing at your job now?
The secret is a mindset but also a way of life ... we all have to power to tap into something more ... change ones mindset and one changes a life
I agree that the mind is a powerfull tool.. if we crontrol it, we definetly can perform the tasks ahead of us needed to achieve what we want. Is not about the universe, but our inner universe.
I have read "The Secret" and its successor, "The Power." It is more than just a self-serving promotion of "positive thinking" and the Law of Attraction. For example, it promotes the power of gratitude. The third book in the series, "The Magic" gives you 28 days of daily gratitude exercises. I have learnt to incorporate gratitude in my daily life. Where the "The Secret" falls down is there is no explanation of how to use the LoA into your own life. I suspect the author recognised this and wrote "The Power." This book is well worth a read for those who remain open minded.
HiGuys ! This book changed my way of thinking.
I am now an Author of "Kathputli"- a fiction book in Hindi language.
Amit wrote: "I am in the process of reading "the secret", while reading it there are a lot of thoughts, doubts and counter arguments in my mind. I would really love to discuss about this book and in the process..."
I've read and watched The Secret a lot of times, there's many other books which deal with "Thoughts Become Things" It can be explained by the more you think about something, constantly, the more chance of it coming to fruition
This book really opened my eyes to lot of possibilities and doors I never thought I could open.All that I believe is positive thinking might not help you all the time but then negative thinking definately doesn't help.
Not just thinking but untill and unless we 'act' upon the changes we want to see in our lives no one can save us.
Afterall what you reap is what you sow.
There are 2 types of readers for this book, one, who will always criticise for it's unattainable methods and philosophy and other, who instead of critising will learn something from it and will try to implement it their lives.
This book became the launch pad for the way I study this genre now.
I was able to read half of "The Secret" and I must admit, I was moved by the teachings. I like how creative and convincing the pieces of advice in the book. Hope to read all the series of Rhonda Byrne.
I use it as a form of motivation. I know it sounds magical and fiction-like when read as is, but if you think about it, it's just a way to apply in real life the popular saying "when there is a will, there is a way"
I just want to thank everyone for their input. I watched "The Secret" video via Amazon Prime video and after reading everyone's thoughts I opted out of buying the book. There is enough info here that I don't need to read it.
I'm not some mad crazy person who lives their life to every step of the book but I'm finding the negative comments disturbing. Yes to some the secret is mumbo-jumbo, but to people like me with mental health problems, it's easy to become distant and isolated & to forget the power of positive thoughts. My life is falling apart so I pick up the secret & within days of reading it, all my questions on how to solve my problems are answered, not by the book, but by the mindset the book puts me in. I do highly believe in the law of attraction & I think people who don't are silly to even read this book.
Amit wrote: "I am in the process of reading "the secret", while reading it there are a lot of thoughts, doubts and counter arguments in my mind. I would really love to discuss about this book and in the process..."hi amit, actualy the things that comes to our lives is affected from our fellings about things for exemple if you feel happy most likely that more happy things will menifest to your life even if you didnt think about them ' if you are feeling down more upseting things will come , that is the most important - to keep your feelings and thougths in high energy . because we are human it is not posible to be happy all the time but we can pay more attention to it and if we feel down to do something to change that feeling in order to stop bringing more bad situations to our lives
Shireen wrote: "The Secret isn't really just about "positive thinking" it's about The Law of Attraction. I suggest reading more about The Law of Attraction in other great books. The Secret is a great Introduction,..."i agree the law of attraction works
Will wrote: "This book is stupid. There, I said it. It comes down to: think positive thoughts. There's a reason this works and there's nothing secret about it; if you are positive, you will seize more opportuni..."Yeah!
Richard wrote: "I just want to thank everyone for their input. I watched "The Secret" video via Amazon Prime video and after reading everyone's thoughts I opted out of buying the book. There is enough info here th..."Regardless of comments and opinions, it's always best just to buy the book and study it.
Even though this book receives a lot of criticism for a very fact that the message entirely centred on the idea of “asking and it’s given”, however I believe that it actually acted as an introduction to spirituality for majority of people like myself who had very less understanding of spirituality.
A very useful book to increase your self-esteem and for the correct achievement of your goals. It gives the reader a lot of power and in my opinion it is very useful to have a new point of view in one's life.On the other hand it could have a negative impact. The simple "looking thin" and thinking as if you were thin is proposed as a fight against obesity. It is written that through the secret it is also possible to cure the terminally ill. I understand that suggestion is very useful, but in my opinion it could adversely affect people, because a patient in depression could refuse chemotherapy treatments to use the secret. In my opinion it is too forced as a book, and the author believes that Jesus Christ came down to earth, who with thought manages to govern reality.
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I'm sorry, but please get off of your high horse.
"In watching this discussion unfold I have come to see who I would want as neighbors, friends, or as my leaders. There is clearly one group here that seems far more happy with their lives, plays well with others, and has shown a lot more tolerance for other points of view."
What does this have to do with anything? And how do you know what kind of people anyone here is like in real life? You ask everyone else to not be rude or personally attack someone, and you say this right after being rude and personally attacking us? How righteous of you.