Thinking positive is not a western based idea. In my hatha and taoist yoga studies there is a lot of emphasis on the mind body connection and training the mind to perceive the light in harsh situations, being grateful, showing humility and all that. Thinking positive is a broad term. Also a lot the people I speak with who are homeless and endure impoverish conditions show these characteristics and are pretty positive people so I don't think it's a first world thing. Yeah, the secret turned a profit from it and caused people to go into the ideology under the delusion they will be rewarded instead of understanding it's potential to refine one's character to not be so superficial and more grateful but any great idea can be bastardized like atomic energy. I think there will be grounds for conscious energy influencing material reality pretty soon. The soviets called it bioplasma, the Indians called it Kundalini, the Taoist called it the Tao, the Chinese called it Chi (qi), it's a matter of time before the western field of thought known as quantum mechanics is articulate enough to understand complex energy fields and will start to explore this idea. Also there a lot biological benefits from thinking positive, less chance of Alzheimer's, decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity, strong immunity (the immune system and our emotions are connected), and other shiz. I'm not saying if you have a negative thought you're going to die in a car accident but I don't think people should demonize the idea, imagine how much more cohesive society would be if they saw opportunity in every challenge they faced? And if everyone were grateful for what they were given and didn't seek other things to fill in the void within? Thinking positive for me is not stressing the small shit, giving back, working hard for what I love and being grateful for whatever experience life has to offer me, hardship or not.
1. If the homeless and impoverished people you speak to are utilising positive thinking, than why are they still homeless? Well it's probably a societal failure, a systematic result of the poverty cycle and cannot merely be broken by 'just being happy'. Life doesn't work that way. I sure wish it did, but it doesn't. 2. I acknowledge the examples you use but do you really want to mention the benefits of positivity in relation to the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China? Have you seen what those governments (in the past in the case of the USSR) have done to their own people? Were they using 'positive thinking'? But even if you were to take those two out of the equation, you have simply highlights the manner in which postivie thinking can be given thousands of different names, spun and orchestrated and then nicely slotted into whatever ideology it is trying to maintain/spread. Also, do you pay/charge for yoga classes? By proxy then, are you not buying or selling positive thinking like 'The Secret' is? 3. Positive thinking will not cure the world and will not simply produce a cohesive society. Even the most successful people in the world experience negativity in their lives. Less than desirable events can and will happen to us no matter how much energy we spend trying to think positive. It's naïve to believe that we can positively think away our problems. Anyway, people who are deemed to think negatively (I know you're all looking at me right now) are needed. Critical thinking is often dismissed as negativity, as is questioning things. Would society benefit if there was an absolute lack of cynicism? Nope. 4. Why if someone criticises the idea of something, then we are automatically 'demonising' the whole thing. I don't think it's fair to attempt to delegitimise someone's entire argument like that. I know my opinion might not be necessary popular (or right!) but I stand by them.
I can see why you're so opposed to positive thinking, you like to bicker haha I respect it \n1. These people aren't using positive thinking to elevate their status in society and they are content with what they have, they don't see being homeless as a negative thing, it's just how it is for them. \n2. The soviet scientists refer to it as bioplasma, not the government who orchestrate the atrocities. To generalize the whole soviet union is pretty ignorant. That's like saying all American's in the 1800's were pro slavery, not the case there were many free thinking abolitions despite the social injustices at the time. I paid for my license to teach but I do not charge, I do free kundalini classes on Sunday. I am not selling these ideas, i found them beneficial for what I was going through when I was facing hardships and I wish to help those who seek to refine their meditation, to get closer to whatever inner truth they seek. The process of unfolding the ego is difficult and requires special help for some. Those weren't names for positive thinking those were names for conscious energy. \n3. I'm not stating that it is an end game plan for world peace, i'm just stating that it would progress things more effortlessly. I'm not saying you need to be grinning ear to ear everyday, I'm just saying it's more productive to be as positive as possible without being inauthentic. I've been homeless, abused as a child, made fun of because my mother was a stripper, lost my parents at fourteen, exiled from my family, I get cluster headaches and almost died from tetanus, I'm quite aware of the struggles of life but only saw them as an opportunity to overcome something, learn and get stronger. Critical thinking is not negative thinking, you're putting words in my mouth. Critical thinking is what made me understand my situations and how to overcome them, I consider that positive thinking. I believe everyone is governed by their own self-interest but I understand it and keep doing my thing and try to support others even at my own expense, it's called (insanity?) humility haha \n4. Your opinion was popular on the thread. And everyone was condemning the idea as bullshit and using various examples ad absurdum. Also I didn't delegitimize your argument using that as my sole case and point. Your argument seemed the most articulate so I based by counter on your response, nothing personal. I just wanted to inform the op of my opinion and the best way I could do it was to respond to your post.
The Law of Attraction is very real and very powerful. Unfortunately, it has been massively popularized and subsequently misunderstood by most people. It doesn't simply work by thinking really hard about something and through some metaphysical bullshit have it drawn to you, you must take action. If it worked simply through mental activity then every starving kid in Africa would have a hot meal right now. The book teaches the mindset, but what you need to connect the mindset and the conclusion is action. In other words: You're at A. You know what you C. Now you need to B. See how that works?
Working for what you want...that's not some speical law of attraction, its just working and putting in the effort to achieve a goal... And you put ABC in the wrong order
None of it is special. It's simply teaching a positive mindset but the most common error in that mindset is the lack of action. For whatever reason people think because it's called the Law of Attraction it will literally attract things into your life just by thinking about them. And no, I didn't. I don't think you understood what I was trying to say with that little bit on the end and how it relates to the overall theme of the post, so I won't really bother explaining it.
I recently watched an episode of Family Guy where Bryan writes a book exactly like this called "Wish it Want it Do it." Later he admits how the whole thing was bullshit and just to win a bet with Stewie to see if America was dumb enough to buy up his book.
calling positive thinking "the law of attraction" is bullshit in itself, one is a real concept, the other is metaphysical nonsense that "thinking energy" brings results... and the ABC thing was just a joke about the cliché shit you posted... and the point is to step away from the woo and back to reality
Exactly my point. The Law of Attraction is mostly just woo-woo New Age type shit imho, it's really nothing more than a glorified positive mindset.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbS9jZOlQjc What you need to do is visualize some roast beef and mashed potatoes with gravy. The problem is you have a bad attitude about starving to death.