What the Bleep/ The Secret

[Gerrinson]

Bullsnot to all this wishful thinking.
I had an enormous amount of "good luck" as a child despite depression and temper problems. If ever thoughts could effect outcome, then I should have been picked on. But I never had any bullies, altercations, etc. for all my bad thoughts.

I would have to agree. When I was younger I was cheerful, hopeful, always thought things would work out for the best, yadda, yadda, yadda. I got picked on, beat up, etc. all the time.

It is life experience that has beaten the cynic and pessimist into me. I still hope for the best, but I plan for the worst. In the end, I'm far better at dealing with life because of it.

As far as the Secret goes, here's a copy of what I posted over on CS:

Right, so if you want something you really really focus on it but you have to take steps to get what you want...and if you get it, it's because of this 'source' or 'secret' and not because you took steps to get what you want. If you don't get it, it's because you didn't properly attune your mind. Sorry, but sounds like window dressing for a religious cult to me.

A different example, if you will: If you pray (and I mean REALLY pray, deep in your heart/gut/soul want this prayer to come to true) to my ugly ass curtains and take steps to get what you want, you will either get what you want (because my ugly ass curtains are pleased with your prayers) or you won't get what you want (because you aren't good enough, didn't pray hard enough, <insert reason you are a failure>.) So, there you go, the secret to life is to pray to my ugly ass curtains.

I honestly don't see the difference except that my curtains are tangible and this 'source' is not. It sounds more like very basic self hypnosis combined with the common sense suggestion that you get off your butt and work towards your goals. But I'm skeptical like that.

So, yeah, there you go.

[Flyndaran]

Well, I see now that this was already brought up in the religion thread. I don't agree that it should be here...it's not religious...to me, it's more pop culture or new age.
....

That's a value judgement. Respect demands that we treat all beliefs with the same value no matter how absurd they seem to us. I may not like how all the rules of sanity change just because someone uses the word religion. But I don't get to make the rules of language and society.