Comments on: The (Other) Secret

By: can't you sleep little bear story

can't you sleep little bear story — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 01:42:11 +0000

There are so many little bear episodes, I particularly enjoy the can’t you sleep little bear story however. I enjoy this site.

By: Fagan Roberts

Fagan Roberts — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:19:43 +0000

I am a huge fan of the free market system because I understand that my goals in life, my dreams, my desires and pursuits are MY OWN, and it should not be determined nor impeded by the deterences of the parasitical greed of interlopers and government over taxation and regulation.

As an atheist I understand that if this were a book about how to extract the most money from taxpayers to give to whom the state determines as “the needy” for votes, most atheists would have no problem with it. For many atheists are statetheists at heart. (Most people have to believe in some higher power/authority, I guess)

But it is a spritual based book and not a material one. Which is enough for smart people to reject it. But here you have a clutch of moneyed people making a buck off the spiritually credulous. Don’t buy the book. Nothing new here.

By: Brad

Brad — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:13:32 +0000

The problem with the folks who believe in the Secret is that do what most people do…they look for the evidence that SUPPORTS their belief and deny the evidence that goes against it. For everyone who says “it works”, ask yourself “When didn’t it work?” After all, it can’t work every time. What you will find yourself doing it talking yourself into believing it worked for a reason and then looking for reasons WHY it didn’t work (“I didn’t believe hard enough”, “I gave out the wrong energy”…etc). You create your successes with post hoc reasoning and you rationalize your failures the same way. [And I am not even going to discuss the 'science' behind this scam...for if you believe that their 'science' is real, then you have no idea what science is. The secret is not falsifiable, ergo, it is not science. Wrapping scientific mumbo jumbo around it doesn't make it true!]

By: Hernan Navas

Hernan Navas — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:28:26 +0000

I don’t think you’re a cynic for disbelieving what defies logic, common sense and verifiability. This is where religion, faith and “the gurus of the law of the attraction” differ from science. Scientists make mistakes like everyone else, but there’s a tradition in science of skepticism and a tradition of verifying each other’s contentions. The religious, and the “gurus”, on the other hand are reluctant to challenge what other members of the professional cast says. They take each other’s words on faith and require everyone else to do the same.

By: Pam P.

Pam P. — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:56:13 +0000

Not sure where to even start. For me the law of attraction makes complete sense – maybe not exactly like The Secret or whoever’s the next popular guru. It’s one law of the universe like the law of karma. For the writer to give examples of groups of people as why this “stuff doesn’t work” is ridiculous. Don’t the Hindu religions also classify people in a caste system based on karma? I don’t agree with this either. Sounds like the law of the land to me – has nothing to do with the law of attraction or karma.

However I will say that there is something behind mass consciousness that emphasizes being a victim or a survivor within certain groups and this can perpetuate throughout generations. If Oprah held unto the belief that she was a little black girl growing up in TN, the granddaughter of slaves, with very little options in the 60s would she had garnered as much success in her lifetime? She says that she did not hold onto that belief, she knew she could have more – not just materialistically but spiritually she knew she was more than that. And she says that she worked hard…but we all know folks who work hard and still don’t reach beyond their beliefs or thinking about what/how they can acheive.

I also don’t agree that success is always about material things – it is about looking at your life and seeing what you have, being grateful, and feeling that you have abundance around you whether it’s through love, relationships…and oh well yes stuff.

As with any new thought, philosophy, or religion, people will use it for spiritual gain… I don’t think that’s the only intent for the gurus of the law of the attraction but if it gets more people think more positively I’m all for it. Honestly I’m tired of the cynics…give it a rest.

By: Phyllis Maximilien

Phyllis Maximilien — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:08:36 +0000

Even if all of this had some basis or truth to it, (the law of attraction, the secret), which I seriously doubt, the problem with it is basically tied to the material. Money making schemes, and individuals obsessed with materialism. Saddly there is nothing spirtual or mind opening in these theories. For me that’s enough to reject them.

By: Joan P.

Joan P. — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:52:04 +0000

Buddha taught that suffering comes from desiring. If you want wealth, even if you get it you will be unhappy. Monks have nothing but a robe and a rice-bowl, but they are the happiest people on earth.

By: Magda Healey

Magda Healey — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:08:13 +0000

Oops, forgot the link:

http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php/The_Secret_by_Rhonda_Byrne

By: Magda Healey

Magda Healey — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:07:04 +0000

The most despicable thing in the likes of The Secret (apart from the mercenary greed behind it, of course) is the abuse of scientific language. Thus, a nice pointer about the inverse square law, but isn’t even such argument equivalent to debating with young Earth creationists?

I have written my own (a bit indulgent, but hey, I think I deserved a treat after actually reading the thing) review of the book and was encouraged by mostly positve response. There is hope for reason yet.

By: Jaco

Jaco — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:45:24 +0000

The problem with credibility of “the secret” is quite clear if for example you look at competative sport – world cup final , both teams are highly motivated and extremely positive and truly believe in their capabilities and the “fact” that they are going to win along with millions of their fanatic supporters yet there must be a winner and a loser.
What about chance and luck?
The “Secret” can do more harm than good – teaching people that their believe in something and mind over matter approach can and must solve all their problems and realize their wildest dreams without teaching them that you need to step up to challenges, look the “demon” in the eye and maintain a straight forward pro-active approach to addressing your problems in a possitive way and adapt to circumstances, is misleading at best.
The good points of possitive thinking can be much easier illustrated and taught to people through educating them in taking an annalytical approach to problem solving and questioning anything that teaches you that you are not required to use thinking and acting on aquired information and that everything will “magically” work out if you are possitive alone.