Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 873 Location: Tustin, CA
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:19 am Post subject: Re: "The Secret": A Model for Cornucopians?
I have not had a chance to review “The Secret”, but a very close friend of mine who has been very successful in business has a very high opinion of it.
Reading reviews and cursory outtakes it appears to be a reconstituted Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, Tony Robbins, which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing. I just hope it has not been reduced to psychobabble in this form.
I don’t believe it addresses Peak Oil or the tsunami of crises that will result from it. But if we are that pessimistic that nothing can be done to at least attempt to survive, just eat a gun right now and be done with it!
“Wither you think you can, or think you can’t, your right”-Henry Ford (1863-1947) _________________ Skeptical scrutiny in both Science and Religion is the means by which deep thoughts are winnowed from deep nonsense-Carl Sagan
Joined: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 1251 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:46 am Post subject: Re: "The Secret": A Model for Cornucopians?
I think it's dangerous.
People can 'create their reality' by the way they think/look at life, but they are not calling new stuff into being, just focusing on different aspects of what's there all along. If you're pessimistic and see only negative behaviour and motivation in other people, your 'reality' is that other people are all negative and out to get you. The optimist sees all the people as friendly. Only because each is focusing on different aspects of the whole reality and discounting anything that goes against their 'world view'. You can change 'your' reality by changing 'your' world view. You are not changing the real reality, just how you see it and how you see your part in it.
Want more money? then change what you focus on. Instead of seeing the world as lacking in opportunity and feeling stuck in a dead end job, do the research to see more options and change your life by changing what you do. Get more training/education, move to a town with better job prospects, apply for better jobs where you are or start up a small business parttime to earn more.
Its the only way you can actually 'change your life', you have to put in the hard work to change and people don't like change. Wishing to the universe for more of what you want to just drop into your lap with no effort on your part is just magical thinking, like the cargo cult in Micronesia. It's how little kids think before they learn how the world works.
The only people benefiting from 'the Secret' is the author, the publisher and the bookstores selling the book. _________________ Kind regards, Katkinkate
"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops,
but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."
Masanobu Fukuoka
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:24 am Post subject: Re: "The Secret": A Model for Cornucopians?
SILENTTODD wrote:
I have not had a chance to review “The Secret”, but a very close friend of mine who has been very successful in business has a very high opinion of it.
The basic premise of the secret is that what you think you will attract. "The law of attraction". I have the DVD it's a great motivational film an outgrowth of an energy abundant era, where exponential growth was normal in nearly every field, from cpu cycles to farm harvest.
It's fitting that the secret was released during the peak or plateau.
One thing that irked me about the secret was simply blind faith in belief and focus and it shall become. well having recently undergone surgery, I can tell you the hernia I did not wish or focus into my life one bit. Wanting and believing it to go away did not work, however surgery did.
The secret is a good motivational tool for getting out there and making lots and lots of money $$$. As far as it's role in medicine is concerned Im dubious to say the least. _________________ "Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box."
-Italian Proverb
Joined: Sep 14, 2004 Posts: 6492 Location: Rural Virginia
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:43 am Post subject: Re: "The Secret": A Model for Cornucopians?
The dangerous message of The Secret is that you can get something for nothing.
That is the idea that has been destroying the world.
We don't get something for nothing, we just shift the cost onto someone or something else. As all those costs accumulate and generalize, they pull everything and everyone down.
The greenhouse gases coming out of your tailpipe are the perfect example, but there are so many others.
Real, positive, ethical change is accomplished only through hard work and sacrifice. Suffering, even.
Keeping in mind that the documentary that aired on T.V was produced
in conjunction with the Packer controlled 'The Nine Network' and believe
you me that ain't anything spiritual about Australia's richest family _________________ Let us make him who shall nourish and sustain us. What shall we do to be invoked; to be remembered in the earth.
We have tried with our first creatures but we could not make them venerate us.
So let us try to make obedient respectful beings who shall
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:56 am Post subject: Re: "The Secret": A Model for Cornucopians?
Don't waste your time on The Secret. Watch What the Bleep instead. Listen to Wayne Dyer. The message I take away from those sources is that the desire to constantly grow is a bad thing. We need to live in some type of harmony with the universe wherein happiness comes from inside, not from our possessions, the number of digits in our bank acct., etc.
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:14 am Post subject: Re: "The Secret": A Model for Cornucopians?
Heineken wrote:
The dangerous message of The Secret is that you can get something for nothing.
That is the idea that has been destroying the world.
We don't get something for nothing, we just shift the cost onto someone or something else. As all those costs accumulate and generalize, they pull everything and everyone down.
The greenhouse gases coming out of your tailpipe are the perfect example, but there are so many others.
Real, positive, ethical change is accomplished only through hard work and sacrifice. Suffering, even.
Suffering is not necessary, but if required it must be of your own choosing (as a result of the journey one must make). Suffering at another's demand will only perpetuate a cycle of intolerance, mistrust, and anger.
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:53 pm Post subject: Re: "The Secret": A Model for Cornucopians?
Heineken wrote:
The dangerous message of The Secret is that you can get something for nothing.
That is the idea that has been destroying the world.
We don't get something for nothing, we just shift the cost onto someone or something else. As all those costs accumulate and generalize, they pull everything and everyone down.
The greenhouse gases coming out of your tailpipe are the perfect example, but there are so many others.
Real, positive, ethical change is accomplished only through hard work and sacrifice. Suffering, even.
Amazing you've just hit the nail on the head. My brother is very business oriented, owns lots of shares and makes decent income from it so I guess he has a vested interest.
When we were talking about roads and toll ways then he started sprouting user pays. I just *grit* my teeth. How much would our beloved "stocks" and "economy" be worth if the true costs of production were not externalised onto people and the environment.
It't dosen't take a genius to work out that if it costs more to maintain the balance of the environment clean air, aqueifiers NOT depleted, topsoils to REMAIN in place, forests and ecosystems NOT destroyed, fishieries to be properly managed, once in a lifetime gifts of oil and gas to be equitably utilised. Sure sure user pays... TELL IT TO THE CORPORATIONS !!!! and we subsidise many of them to boot, I thought they didn't like welfare??? _________________ "Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box."
-Italian Proverb
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