Being a member of the church where "The Power of Positive Thinking" was written, what I hear much more of is along the lines of "You can choose how you look at things." or "Life can be extemely hard and there is no doubt suffering, but it does not have to defeat or define you." I think the constantly "cheery" people are not really getting the message.

And then there's the corruption into The Secret and that stuff, where what you think actually makes things happen, and I think that's a real problem. I can't say it for 100% certain, but I am pretty damn sure no one ever got cancer (or cured) because of their attitude.

I haven't read the Ehrenreich book either...

because if you try "positive thinking" and you don't get what you want (e.g. your cancer doesn't go away) then it's all your fault.

yeah., I am pretty positive (see what I did there) Norman Vincent Peale and Wayne Dyer would never say that.

The Secret is a twisted money making thing, on the same level as "be a good Christian and get rich" ministers.

With the caveat that I have not read the book, I think it is problematic to refer to people who believe in positive thinking as being happy about things.

She's talking about positive thinking in the sense of "I believe $10,000 will appear in my bank account" and the "if you believe it, you receive it" concept. She kind of conflates Norman Vincent Peale, Dale Carnegie and abundance theology, which are very different.

The Secret is a twisted money making thing, on the same level as "be a good Christian and get rich" ministers.

Yeah, absolutely. But even more dangerous, I think.

Talking about the "Power of Positive Thinking" always makes me flash on Chief Inspector Dreyfus. Ah, the power of childhood moviegoing experiences.

She kind of conflates Norman Vincent Peale, Dale Carnegie and abundance theology, which are very different.

Yes, very different. Should not be discussed together except to draw distinctions between what different groups consider "positive thinking". Fists of righteous indignation.

When Matt was looking for work a friend suggested that he should stop concentrating on what he didn't want, but he concentrate on what he wanted. That is how I define positive thinking.

DH thinks I am an optimist because I refuse to dwell on the negative possibilities of a situation. How ever, when he comes up with the worst case scenario - I usually have an answer. I have thought of the worst case and come up with a plan. So I don't ignoe the worst case.

Dwelling on the negative possibilities seems to bring people further down. Looking for the best case ( not false positive ) seems to be more forward moving.

When Matt was looking for work a friend suggested that he should stop concentrating on what he didn't want, but he concentrate on what he wanted. That is how I define positive thinking.

I think that's good as far as it goes, but I also try to think of what I don't want as well. Not thinking about what she didn't/doesn't want has landed a good friend of mine in her last two crappy job situations-which in turn has made her more negative.

msbelle, you actually attend Marble Collegiate Church? When I was a kid we always listened to Peale's sermons on the radio, so the actual church seemed a mythical place to me.

My feeling about bodies of water is: ooky squishy bottoms = bad, nice sandy or concrete bottoms = good. I like the ocean and pools, but you may keep your pond.

I am flea. Also good for swimming for me is a quarry because the bottom is to deep to touch (although that idea can be distressing if pondered for too long). For quarrying I need noodles though or some other flotation device.