Hi folks,
It is good to be in a class where the students and the teacher feel so passionate about their views. Why don't we write our thoughts about the movie. I really appreciate your honest writings and expressing your feelings and thoughts.
Here are some of mine.
I do not claim I am right but I want to be honest about what I think at this point in my life.
1. I do like the movie but I think that it has problems because it emphasizes the physical dimension and I believe that we are spiritual being with a physical body.
2. I do not have a problem with someone having a 4.5 million $ house. Who am I to judge him?
3. The main message of the movie is that "Thoughts Are Things" and I believe in it from my own experience (my hidden thoughts caused me severe depressions and I was barely living for years). When I changed my thoughts I became happy and there is nothing else now in my life but sharing this happiness with others. I hope you will get infected.
4. My dear friends... All this is not so important as we make it. Let us all do our duties.
By the way, I have a wonderful idea to solve the problem with students who missed classes this week and I want to share it with you today in class.
I cannot wait to see you this afternoon.
:)
Please write.
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11 comments:
Although I do not completely agree with this movie's approach to addressing these ideas, I do think that the concepts behind "The Secret" are interesting and true to a certain extent.
I agree that thinking positively can lift your mood and increase your physical health to a certain degree. However, it would be dangerous and unhealthy to rely on your thoughts to solve all problems in your life.
Thinking positively can encourage you to take more initiative and have more energy in your day to day activities, which in turn will make you happier, healthier, and more energized. When it comes to thinking positively about things, (as long as you are not thinking too idealistically and unrealistically), I say, why not? :)
Also, happy and optimistic people are more likely to take initiative and have a "go-getter" attitude, which makes them more likely to be successful. Being happy with themselves and who they are also makes them more grounded and centered individuals, which sets them up for success because those are traits which many people strive to have themselves, and want to be around.
I agree that by thinking positively in realistic situations that a person can drive themselves on to greater successes and fulfillment. I agree that maintaining a positive outlook can also aid in healing. My only issues with the film are the extent to which it proclaims that it is the answer, the end all be all, and positive thinking will solve all your problems.
We have to be realistic and accepting of hardships that will inevitably come our way, yet still maintain a healthy way of looking at them. There are those who say that living is simply the process of dying slowly, while others who maintain a healthier and more effective outlook would say that death is just a natural part of life. With some things it's all what you make it, how you choose to look at it, but what the film fails to say is that no matter how positively you think of yourself as a hippopotamus for example, you will always be yourself.
I would have to say that "The Secret", was a VERY interesting movie. I agree with what a lot of poeple are saying in that the movie should not be taken as literally as it is portraying itself to be. The movie is a large part conceptual and involves both thought and action. Like i mentioned in class, i don't think that if you think positively about something you want you can always get it, but the CONCEPT does apply to many things. Thinking positive is always a great thing and will lead you into many positive situations with positive outcomes however this may not happen all the time. I know for me, i habitually get sick before i sing in concerts and everytime i feel more throat get sore. The first time I had a sore thorat before a concert was many years ago and it turned out to be strep throat. Ever since then it is very strange but almost on cue, i get a sore throat before concerts (a week or so before). SInce then i always work my self up about it saying "I hope its not strep", and sure enough i have had strep porbably 8 out of 10 times and have been pooping Amoxicillin like itsmy job. As strange and out there as this sounds, i feel like me thinking about getting sick and strep makes me sick, and through this negative and constant thinking about it I almost "create" my illnesses. My concert for Ithacappella is next saturday and right now i am pretty congested. Im starting to think positively about getting better and looking on the bright side that it will pass soon and I'lll get helathy soon. I hope this positive thinking works and i'll let you know how it pans out haha.
I believe that in the big picture knowing the secret (positive thinking) really helps someone live a much fuller and happier life. I think that the materialistic examples that the movie gave to express this point were so blatantly portrayed as "things that make us happy" in order to stress the point that if you think positively about your situations positive things will come to you and you as a person will be much happier. I also found the story of the man who was paralyzed very interesting because while it was brought up in class that thinking positively about a disease or affliction will not always make you better, just relying on medicine doesnt always work either. I think the paralyzed man was a good example of this because he took both medicine and enacted positive thinking, and he was able to overcome his accident. Overall I think the Secret is a very good movie for everyone to see because it tells us (sometimes a bit simplistically) to be positive and we will have a good life...something I whole heartedly agree with.
I had a difficult time with all of the negativity that was expressed regarding the movie. I think many of our students forgot to take what was said with a grain of salt and instead, in taking it all literally, bashed an otherwise very positive and simple message. Most people do not feel empowered in there lives and are endlessly looking for external guidance in order to feel full. This movie attempted to reaffirm and reassure individuals in the power they have over there own lives. While I understand there was some ill-will toward the examples utilized in the film, think logically. How else would a movie gain the attention of a vastly consumerist nation without using example such as these. Lighten up folks. Breathe deeper and naysay less. Feeling self-empowered can be fun if you let it.
I think the concept behind "The Secret" has merit. Positive thinking is a very good thing, something that I struggle with on a daily basis. Personally, It's safer to have a negative attitude on events because I hate getting my hopes up and then being disappointed (which is a constant theme of my life) What worries me about this video was that the message was very self centered and very humanist. Humanity often stumbles when we get too cocky and sure that we are number #1. Personally, I'm a religious person. I worry about the video's message because it wouldn't personally work for me. I'm a Christian, so I didn't agree with the whole relying on yourself/praying to nothing approach. As a human, I know I am deeply flawed and a lot of my problems are the results of my ego/arrogance/hubris catching up with me. Therefore I find it comfortable to rely on a higher power. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I'm not a billionaire and would like to believe that there's a reason I'm not. Besides material things do not equal happiness (which the video seems to imply to some extent) I'd rather have love, family and friends. Our society often preaches that material things are great substitutes for love/friends etc BUT THEY'RE NOT!
I believe everyone has a purpose in this life, so wishing for things you never had or can't receive is pointless. I just try to life my life and not force my beliefs on others. What works on me can't possibly be an end all solution for all of humanity.
Btw: "ethereal Ensign" is me Brandon Priddy. For some reason my mac and google aren't getting along and it keeps refusing to post my name! Instead it's using the name of my hard drive and password. How do I fix this?
Unless there is a human being who is so strongly developed in the mind that they can telekinetically affect the world around them, there is no way for thoughts within the mind to physically or literally make something happen.
However, I do believe that if someone makes an effort strong enough to change their personal outlook dramatically enough to aid them confidently, they could figure out more easily how they could make themselves make something happen. The more a thought is processed in the human brain as truth, the realer it becomes.
Therefore, if you look at your current situation pessimistically, your outlook will be bad and seem impossible to fix. But if a problem is considered conceivable in the first place, then it can be figured out positively, without any drawback affects, and not only is the process more enjoyable, but the steps are taken out with meaning behind them that almost forces them happen.
And also more specifically, science cannot be changed. Solid Facts cannot be changed by thought only, your hair color cannot change with your mind, but you can decide to go get it dyed.
But unsettled facts are up for grabs.
The actor who lands the role at an audition, a drummer's perforance at a concert attended by some very important agents, the number of times Lance Armstrong wins the Tour Du France, your next job interview's outcome..
It just depends on what you conceive those determinate facts to be that affects how you attempt to change them.
From Bailey
I will start off with some thoughts on The Secret because that has to do directly with everyone in class and then I have a couple options that some people might be interested in pursuing along with me. Mostly in class we have been talking about whether or not the "secret" could be true and how the movie was presented. I think it is useful to remember that no matter if everything they are saying in the movie is true how they are saying it, there is something anyone can take from the movie that will actually help them improve their lives. There are a few things that they point out that we can definitely say are true. For instance the placebo effect is well documented and tells us something about the power our brains have over our body. You might not believe that the power of your mind can cure you of all diseases, but you can admit that since people who believed they are getting cured sometimes do, that believing you are being cured could have some health benefits. Another example is education. You could probably guess that students who are encouraged at home do better in school, but did you know that when a teacher thinks a child is smart, even if they do not try to overtly preference this child, they will do better in the class and go on to do better in the future. This is because, as for as learning goes - a language, to sing, academics, mechanical skills, our aptitude is a reflection of our belief in our abilities. This has been documented by many studies with school children especially. So while you might not believe that positive thinking can get you a million dollars, you might agree that positive thinking can allow you to develop new skills that other people are getting paid millions of dollars for, and a positive attitude will certainly help you through all of the school, odd jobs, and interviews you might need to make it there.
This brings me to another point. I think another place that I interpreted the movie differently is that I don't think it's really about getting specific things but more about being happy and living the life that you want to live. So for instance someone might think they want a million dollars but they probably really want things that a million dollars can get them, because a million dollars really isn't worth much if you don't spend it. So some of the things they may really want are a mansion by the sea, health, leisure, the chance to travel the world etc, and when they really think about it they don't really need a mansion they just want to live in a beautiful place by the sea. So then all of the things that they wanted from a million dollars they could get and they could skip that step.
This method of thinking is useful whether or not we believe in the law of attraction because it helps us to remember what we really want. Another example would be wanting to get a good grade on a test. But then the question is why? Maybe it is because we want a degree, in which case we shouldn't really worry because there will be many chances to make up for bad tests. Maybe it is because we want our professor's respect, well there are also many other chances for that as well. Something Tamar and I talked about after the first time we watched The Secret was the person who wanted a soul mate. This example really gets at the heart of what I'm trying to say about wanting specific things. Well Tamar said that maybe you can use positive thinking to get a relationship with someone that you love but who is to say if that relationship will last or not. Well maybe that relationship would end, but who is to say that that isn't what you really wanted? That relationship may have been great but who is to say that at that point in your life you might not be happier single, or may need to meet someone else who you will have a great relationship with. In other words everything these people are looking for is basically happiness, but they are looking for "things" that will "make" them happy. Really the powerful message of the secret is that we don't need any of those things because happiness itself can be gotten simply by believing it will be given to us. And that there are so many other places to find these "things" that will make us happy than where we are looking.
The one other thing I wanted to address was the problem people had with the way the people in the movie used the secret to get money and other material things. I think we can compare this to mistakes that we make and hard times in our lives. Personally, at this point in my life I can look back at every "mistake" I have made and all of the ordeals that I went through and be grateful for them because a) if things didn't happen like they did I wouldn't be the person I am now b) as far as I believe things couldn't have happened any differently. So in the history of one person everything that has passed can be looked at as necessary and mandatory to get to the future that you want. Therefore everything that has happened in the world is also leading to the future that we want. I don't think it is a bad thing that people had this reaction to the movie, I think it is a very good thing, because it shows us that we can learn from history. If all of the horrible things of the past hadn't happened there would be nothing to react to to make a better world. If this world wasn't at such an imbalanced state there wouldn't be the proper conditions for a revolution that will make a society that is better than any that has been before.
So that is just the way I feel about the secret, based on my beliefs. My suggestion is this: try and find what you do believe about the secret and appreciate it and put it into use, don't pay attention to the rest of it if it isn't for you.
One more thing that you might find interesting is this list of quotes about the law of attraction. You might be surprised about which historical figures believed in this "secret"
http://www.thesecretquotes.com/ - mostly modern figures
http://www.webmomz.com/blog/quotes-from-the-movie-the-secret/ - historical quotes
I found that a lot of your observations are extremely true and valid. The power of positive thinking can be tremendous, and vice-versa. I have found that I have not been thinking as positively as I usually do lately, and my health has suffered. Thinking positively is a powerful tool, and I have found that if I am in a more positive mood I am able to motivate myself and take action. I like what Lael was saying and I agree, it is important to delineate that it is the positive thinking that leads to action that is important.
I, however, had extreme problems with parts of the movie and even saw that they could be harmful. The part about the health section could be seen as promoting self-care and as a discouragement of seeking medical attention. There are extremely harmful implications with this message.
I understand that the movie is not to be taken literally, but the part on health really got under my skin. I found the movie to be too extreme, which turned me off of it and just got me aggravated. A film that was supposed to be about positive thinking actually had me thinking more negatively. I think the message of the film could've been presented in a much better, and, ironically, more positive way!
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