Comments on: The Problem with Positive Thinking

By: New plastic surgery

New plastic surgery — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:25:58 +0000

i agree with you on the positive thinking 100%…

By: Doug

Doug — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:15:54 +0000

All you need to accomplish anything, whether it’s building a birdhouse or constructing an office building is (i) motivation, (ii) ability and (iii) access to resources. Positive thinking is knowing you can accomplish your goal because you’ve done it so many times that it is second nature or you are so dead-set on your goal that you intend to overcome any obstacle that threatens to impede your success–or a mixture of these.

You could be the best darn birdhouse builder in the world, but if you’re stuck in Antarctica you may lack motivation to build birdhouses (penguins wouldn’t use them) or the resources to build them (no trees for lumber). Time to develop another, more realistic goal!

By: Josten

Josten — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:27:26 +0000

I believe that positive thinking is dangerous if you do it for the wrong reasons. Also if you do not have a set of value backed behind your beliefs.

By: Single Mom

Single Mom — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:25:01 +0000

I completely agree positive thinking is overrated. As long as you are constant and capable you can overcome anything.

By: Terri Belik

Terri Belik — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:06:10 +0000

Here, here!! A succinct and sensible comment indeed. What we get, and don’t get from life, and from business, is the result of a little positive thinking, a little healthy scepticism, and an occasional reality check.

By: funkright

funkright — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:46:47 +0000

I thought = envision… geez.. it’s just semantics..

By: morganlean

morganlean — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:15:34 +0000

I didn’t envision success, I thought of an idea at a time and market with people to sell it to. And I executed.

By: morganlean

morganlean — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:14:08 +0000

Basically Julia, I think that these programs are designed to sell dreams and ideas mostly to people who can’t get there. Some people may. That’s how they work, not everyone is going to be a millionaire it just cannot happen.

With a Coke you get a Coke, you know what you are getting and what its about. You don’t really need to be desperate for success to buy a lot of Coke over your lifetime, Coke is a real product that sells a high quality package. Everyone who buys it gets what they wanted. Self help cannot always work, you follow a program and maybe it will work and maybe it won’t. The program doesn’t make you succeed circumstance and ability do, if you don’t have either don’t buy it but the sales are good for these programs because people “Saps” buy it, if everyone on every program got what they wanted there would only be one program it can never happen. That’s why I say its snake oil, I don’t mind if you disagree with me that’s my point of view.

By: Julia May

Julia May — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:58:46 +0000

Morganlean, you seem to assume that working your ass off and visualizing and believing in what you want (Think & Grow Rich) and working with people who align with what you want (The Secret), are mutually exclusive. They’re not.

In chapter 8 of Think & Grow Rich, a quote at the front says “Riches do not respond to wishes. They respond only to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant PERSISTENCE.” To me, it sounds like Mr. Hill is saying you need to work to get what you want. Wouldn’t you agree?

Since you must have read Think & Grow Rich given your reply, and believe that Napolean Hill only wrote his book back in 1937 to pitch his self help mumbo jumbo to people during the Great Depression, I’m curious as to why you think that someone like Andrew Carnegie, who at that time was worth over $480 million, would have suggested, encouraged, and helped Napoleon Hill to write this book.

The Secret may be where many people are getting a bad taste in their mouths. As with most books, you can always check it out from the library for FREE without buying anything, and make your own decision. I think it provides interesting ideas.

I don’t think the books mentioned say anything about not working hard to get what you want and that you only need a positive attitude. I think they’re saying you need to KNOW what you want and must BELIEVE you can get it, and provide ideas on HOW to accomplish this.

Finally, I can sense your distaste for the self-help realm and how it’s repackaged and sold to “saps”. I find this funny, because this is what capitalism is. Coke or Pepsi? Google or Bing? McDonalds or Burger King? The Secret or Think & Grow Rich? It’s the same damn thing, but repackaged, isn’t it?

By: funkright

funkright — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:29:56 +0000

Not an apologist for Julia, but MorganLean, you’ve made 3 companies successful because you envisioned their success and then took the necessary steps to make that so. Hard work needs to be part of that (no matter what any others say), but you can attribute that to diligence and a foreseeable outcome (in your mind).