Letters to the Editor
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Jonathan Livingston Seagull
I think generally that Oprah is the best influence in America, but
"The Secret" reminded me of the "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" of our time.
But, thanks to Oprah, a lot more reading of good books is done.
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Where's The Harm?
At the end of the day what does anybody have to lose by trying a new way of thinking? Was the old way working? The 'con' doesn't involve steep expenditure. You can practice 'The Secret' or 'Law of Attraction' without spending a dime. What does one have to lose then but perhaps some bad, deeply entrenched negative beliefs that keep us from improving our lives. Also, if you had really paid attention to the dvd and to the Oprah show you would have heard that they expressly stated that we have to take action in our lives to bring the things we want - not just visualize or wish them into existence.
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Oprah's ugly secret
Not to worry to much about all this. It is called the secret not because it is an unknown, but because 90 % of the people who come upon it will ignore it.
Also the notion that the rich some how control the wealth and can prevent others from becoming so is just nonsense.
Just ask the person who "invented" the pet rock. Or the writers of "romance novels" who stay on the New York Times best seller list.
Why do pro sports players receive so much money ? ask the people who buy the tickets and the products sold on the show. Why do teachers get paid so poorly ? ask the people who do not pay them for what they do, and yet send the children to school in the hope that they may have a better life. That is a wish never followed by solid action.
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A Bit Jealous?
I have seen the secret two times now.
One with my wife and one time with my daughter, and
as I read your article, out of fascination from the title, I immediately took your article as an attempt to discredit the author, the speakers & Oprah combined out of complete jealousy.
I'm sorry to burst your bubble but if they are selling millions of copies of this book and dvd than they must be doing something right. Lives are changing and Oprah is once again in the spotlight for bringing forward another good deed.
The next time you write about something like this make sure you read the book and see the DVD first. In other words thoroughly research your subject matter. This includes actually seeing the DVD, reading the book and studying the research and impact it has had, then when you write an article like this, you won't look like such an idiot.
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Not new, but not good.
I remember studying the great "faith healing" movements of the 1840s.
If you were healed, then it was because of God and your unquestioning faith in Him. It wouldn't be because of the body's own immune system and recuperative powers, or because of medicine or good food; it was down to faith.
If you weren't healed, then it was because you -- or someone too close to you -- "doubted" or had insufficient faith.
It was the perfect setup for the faith healers. They couldn't fail. If it worked, it was because of them; if it didn't work, it was the fault of the person, for not having the right attitude. Of course it was never going to be because faith healing didn't work....
We see the same kind of thing here, don't we. If good things come to you when you visualise them, it's because of your visualisation. Not hard work, or education, or help -- but simply because you "visualised" it. Similarly, if good things fail to happen, if you stay sick or poor or in a bad position in life, it is because you have failed to visualise properly, or failed to believe in your visualisation. Purely your own fault, you know, for not "believing".
It goes beyond that, however, into the purely poisonous realm of finding excuses not to help other people. Give food to food banks, money to charity, aid to the "buy a family a cow"-type-programs overseas? Why bother? If they are poor, it's their own fault; they could lift themselves out of it if they just "believe in themselves". Bad things are only happening to them now because, for some reason, they must want them to. Lest anyone think I'm drawing a slippery-slope analogy to something that doesn't happen, take note: I've already run into this. People genuinely do think this way.
It fits well with the whole American ethos of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. It also fits well with a modern desire simply to feel good about oneself and avoid troublesome feelings of guilt or worry. It is really popular because it offers an easy out for those people who are fortunate; they can congratulate themselves over and over for their own success, and do not have to feel beholden to any who might have helped them, or any sort of responsibility towards those who aren't themselves successful (yet). Isn't that nice? The idea of "looking out for each other" or making sure that hard work actually gets rewarded gets lost by the wayside, along with real spirituality. As an added bonus, no-one has to strain their brain with intellectual effort; it is, indeed, "all about feeling", and you can avoid any sort of hard thinking whatsoever. Just believe.
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Science and technology....
made this country great. Ignorance and mysticism will destroy it.
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are you even trying?
Having Birkenhead write about 'The Secret' is like assigning an atheist to write about God. He just doesn't get it, he refuses to seriously consider it, and he's unable to see any truth to it.
Ok, let's continue with the Oprah example. Birkenhead cynically notes the proximity of her studio to the projects. Well, Oprah began her life as a poor black girl in the south, and now she's an internationally recognized 'moral leader.' How did that happen exactly? Many successful people get there not just because of talent and networking. They get there because they are desperately motivated to succeed. They focus on it, do their homework, and work hard 24/7. My dad, for example, wasn't the smartest guy in his class, but he was motivated. He, too, came from a poor background, and went on to become senior partner in a large firm. He kept his eyes on his prize. I'm not the best tennis player in the world, but as a kid was obsessed with it. When I wasn't on the court playing, practicing or being coached, I was reading about tennis or watching the pros play. Decades later, I can still beat players better than me. It's my confidence more than my skill.
Poverty in Chicago is not Oprah's fault; it's Chicagoans. Our planet has plenty of food, but people starve to death. Whose fault is that? Mine. Yours. Ours. Why? Perhaps because we're cynical like this author, and don't even try to make a difference? What if we all believed there was enough for everyone to be fed, educated and successful. What if we all focused on that. Well, it would happen. But, like this author, and we don't even try.
I totally agree with the premise of the secret: that whatever we focus on, expands. Our ego constantly feeds us cynicism, which we mistake that for the truth. But we can watch our thoughts, quiet them, and change them. It has indeed worked in my own life. Deep down inside, I really don't wish to be a multi-millionaire. If I did, I probably would work very hard to be one. But what I want most out of life is love. I was single for four years, and in that time made a wish list of everything I wanted in a partner. I stuck with it... didn't settle for less. And, eventually, I met my partner. Not only did she have everything on my list, she has even more superb qualities! She exceeded my dreams. Our love unfolded naturally and sweetly, and we're very happy together.