Does Thinking Positively Really Help?
Anyone remember The Secret, the repackaging of the Power of Thought into a bunch of pretty looking books and videos? All to resell it to a population widely mesmerized by the esoteric views offered by these overrated “gurus.”
Thoughts do become things, and your mind does have transformative power - but not in the popculture stylized way that The Secret portrays it. You won’t become a millionaire if you keep picturing a million dollars in your head.
Honestly, all The Secret has successfully done is teach a sad generation of pathetic Betas to idealize a bunch of newmedia worldviews so that they keep buying selfhelp books and allow these “gurus” to pay their bills.
I like Mark Wahlberg’s quote from The Departed about FBI agents, I think it applies perfectly to the relationship 90% of selfhelp “gurus” have to their clients.
"My theory on [Betas] is that they’re like mushrooms; feed em shit and keep em in the dark."
Don’t get me wrong; I am a huge supporter of selfhelp, selfimprovement and the likes. I just hate how 90% of the industry spreads bullshit to make money. There are only a handful of authors I would ever recommend (Stephen Covey, Strauss, DeAngelo, Robert Greene, Roissy, and some others).
Now back to the point, does thinking positively really help? Yes, in fact, the most important lesson I’ve ever learned is propably:
"As you think, you shall become."
But The Secret only told it half right. One of the things I’ve seen people always complaining about is how their thoughts have never actually done anything for them.
“I think about being rich all the time, I’m not rich.”
“I think I’m an Alpha all the time, I’m still not Alpha.”
“I think I have game all the time, I still don’t."
When 99% of people think “I want to become rich,” their minds are not focusing on the positive aspects of wealth, they are focusing on avoiding a lack of money. If you had to draw a picture representing this thought, it wouldn’t be a person flowing with cash; it would be a plate with a single dollar bill and then a fuckload of volcanoes around it to represent how much these people hate the idea of being poor.
You have to train your mind to think positively, not avoid thinking negatively. When most people try and reset their mental filters to Alphamode, they are focusing on not being Beta, not actually becoming Alpha. Or when people first try and “think success” they think about avoiding failure, not actually success.
Your thoughts basking in failure and thinking about “avoiding” failure essentially become the same thing. They both fuel your fear of failure. The result is the same - an endless shithole full of depressing shit.
When people come to me complaining about how they are “thinking” about being successful but it isn’t working, I tell them it’s because they aren’t actually thinking about becoming successful, they are thinking about avoiding failure. Logically the two things may mean the same thing, but in terms of how your mind perceives both statements, there is a world of difference.
Great first post dear friend! Funny and to the point.
Joined the No-Betas Club! Although the silly name made me giggle. Am I actually a "Beta" in disguise now? ^^
You're beyond saving I'm afraid.
Hahaha. Well I resteemed the article. Hope you get some early exposure!
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STOPI stumbled into this documentary a few years ago and back then I loved it!
Right now, I am reading more about Buddhism and they have similiar insights "Be careful jow you think, your life is haped by your thoughts". Mindset is really important.
I agree. You cant just think about wealth and expect it to drop on your door. Hard work is necessary but you need to keep check on your goal. I think that's what it means.