As I drive around, I am making myself listen to, "The Secret," by Rhonda Byrne. What is The Secret? About $15-$25 if you buy it, retail. "The Secret" is Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), For Dummies. "If you think it, it will come," is my synopsis of the tripe I have listened to, so far. Think of it as the logic of the lottery, all fluffed up with warm, fuzzy, mystical feelings of goodness.

Your life would be as much improved if you purchased $15-$25 of vitamin-fortified cotton candy. Your life would be even more improved if you patented, copyrighted, marketed, produced, and sold the first vitamin fortified cotton candy. There, I've shared my next million with someone. Remember me in your good fortunes and share back just 1% of the gross, and we'll call it even.

What? Is "The Secret" wrong? Is it only hype? Are all the testimonies bogus? Is there no good that can come from practicing "The Secret?"

I loathe "The Secret," because of its passivity. Some people succeed through luck, think of lottery winners. Some people succeed through advantage of birth, think of genetic royalty before the coup. Some people succeed through observation, think of Dr. Werner von Braun moving his work and staff to where the American troops would most likely to arrive before the Russian troops. Some people succeed through observation and insight about human motivation, think of the promoters of Pet Rocks, Chia Pets, Billy Bass, and "The Secret." Some people, dear people, succeed through pursuing goals and networking resources for individual and mutual advantage. There is not a single accredited PhD out there whose thesis manifested itself solely on their intent.

The American Kennedys became the Kennedys because old Joe Kennedy was a mean bastard who made a fortune running booze during prohibition, eliminated enemies, cultivated friends and favors, and had the goal of putting a son into the presidency. He didn't let his first and favored son being killed stop him!

 "The Law of Attraction," "Like Attracts Like," etc. are straw man propositions. Of course (in human interactions) "Like Attracts Like"! It's called having something in common. It's called bigotry. It's called class warfare. It's called finding your own kind. It's called fraternities, sororities, and secret societies. It's called polo, bridge, or bowling. It's called online chat. Put in those contexts, though, no one is going to print a book, make a movie, and form social networking systems promoting that the common public should engage in such activities for their own health, wealth, and well-being.

You see, "The Secret" does not put the cart before the horse. "The Secret" ignores the horse all together. Thinking, imaging, intent, or desires, while important, have little value without focused, purposeful, positive, enduring activity.

If I notice "The Secret" ever promotes focused, purposeful, positive, enduring activity as the primary ingredients to success, I'll amend this journal entry.

With apologies to the friends and others who have manifested "The Secret" within their lives and promote it to their financial advantage, I remain,

Edward

Edward Wunder, BCH, CI, CPHI

A Hypnotic Change

Lincoln, Nebraska, USA