Be more Lizzo? (John Shearer/Getty Images)
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Mindlessly scrolling through football transfer rumours on Twitter recently, I noticed some Liverpool fans trying something a little different. The club’s owners weren’t doing the business they wanted, so it was time, one fan suggested, to gather their mental forces and “manifest” a new midfielder. This wasn’t a joke, or a meme: if everyone could just come together and visualise it hard enough, Liverpool’s billionaire owners would stump up £150 million for Jude Bellingham.
Their belief that their imaginations, combined with good vibes, could change another human being’s life channelled Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 self-help classic, The Power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide to Mastering the Problems of Everyday Living. Peale was a Protestant clergyman, but his ideas have had an influence far beyond the American Church. The book has inspired not only football fans, but also prosperity preachers, presidents, new age spiritualists, celebrities and, now, TikTok influencers. Key religious texts aside, Peale’s guide, which has just celebrated its 70th anniversary, is arguably the most influential book in the world today.
Peale’s philosophy is a direct descendant of the 19th-century New Thought movement, promoted by Ralph Waldo Emerson and other thinkers of his day, which held that a healthy mind led to a healthy body and spirit. His “system of creative living based on spiritual techniques” was an instant success, thanks to his simple formula of prayerise, picturise, actualise. According to Peale, the “spiritual energy” of mind-power is on par with the science of atomic energy, and his simple three-step technique ensures that readers won’t be “defeated by anything”.
Peale knew his audience. Preaching out of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, he spoke to a 4,000-strong congregation filled with successful, business-minded types, including a young Donald Trump, whose tyrannical father Fred lapped up the belief that a winner’s mindset could achieve anything. “It is appalling to realise the number of pathetic people,” Peale writes in prose that sounds jarring today, “who are hampered and made miserable by the malady popularly called the inferiority complex.”
Trump became a life-long advocate of the so-called “law of attraction”, which Peale summarises: “When you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind which by a law of attraction tends to bring the best to you.” Speaking of his time in Peale’s church in 2015, Trump said that the pastor, who presided over his first marriage, would “bring real-life situations” to his sermons, and that “when you left the church, you were disappointed that it was over”.
Peale’s preaching may have been exceptional, but it was also representative of a fundamental shift in American theology. Positive Thinking was the final stop on American Protestantism’s journey away from Calvinism, the austere form of Protestantism that promoted the idea that we’re all degenerates and only God can determine who will be saved. As Europe and Asia smouldered, in the Fifties it felt like America’s time had come; there was no appetite for negativity, even in church. A new band of evangelical leaders began taking a greater role in mainstream American life, equally encouraged by the spirit of the times and fearing the spread of communism to their shores.
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SubscribeI look forward to the “Mbappe is an Englishman” service at Liverpool cathedral.
I look forward to the “Mbappe is an Englishman” service at Liverpool cathedral.
I would offer one explanation as to why deliberate positive thinkers might more often do better than their cynical colleagues, is that who would you rather have on your team, as manager or leader? Positive Peter or negative Nancy, most everything else being equal (training, motivation, etc)? Maybe the positive folks tend to get a little uplift through life due to a bias by surrounding people towards positivity.
I would offer one explanation as to why deliberate positive thinkers might more often do better than their cynical colleagues, is that who would you rather have on your team, as manager or leader? Positive Peter or negative Nancy, most everything else being equal (training, motivation, etc)? Maybe the positive folks tend to get a little uplift through life due to a bias by surrounding people towards positivity.
“Research in Latin America has found that people who have experienced poverty, violence and addiction have a greater chance of escaping those cycles by joining an evangelical church.”
Reading this made me think of the old Stoic, Marcus Aurelius, who wrote “Everything is as thinking makes it so…”.
Stoic philosophy is better than the nonsense described in the article.
Stoic philosophy is better than the nonsense described in the article.
“Research in Latin America has found that people who have experienced poverty, violence and addiction have a greater chance of escaping those cycles by joining an evangelical church.”
Reading this made me think of the old Stoic, Marcus Aurelius, who wrote “Everything is as thinking makes it so…”.
Interesting – this is of course what happens when you take out balance/reality and just hear what you want to hear. Undoubtedly “positive thinking” helps in life – for example those who remain positive during a serious illness are more likely to survive, however, obviously, no amount of positive thinking will allow you to fly if you jump off a tall building.
As an aside, if you think you are spiritual you are religious- maybe not necessarily religious in the the way you think of perceived conventional religion but religious nonetheless.
Interesting – this is of course what happens when you take out balance/reality and just hear what you want to hear. Undoubtedly “positive thinking” helps in life – for example those who remain positive during a serious illness are more likely to survive however, obviously, no amount of positive thinking will allow you to fly if you jump off a tall building.
As an aside, if you think you are spiritual you are religious- maybe not necessarily religious in the the way you think of perceived conventional religion but religious nonetheless.
“if you think you are spiritual you are religious”
That could be turned on its head, i.e. if you’re religious, you’re actually spiritual but just directing your spirituality towards a particular frame of reference, usually (but not always) involving a god.
I fully agree with your point about positive thinking being helpful in life though. What i find interesting is the phenomenon of “imposter syndrome”, whereby someone who’s achieved a degree of success finds themselves feeling unworthy of it. The obverse is, i suppose, narcissism.
Is there any scientific evidence that “positive thinking” helps people survive serious illnesses?
I thought Barbara Ehrenreich had debunked this myth years ago.
Not sure why you forward a progressive political activist and journalist on this matter.
Anyway I have discussed this widely with doctors and they all agree it helps.
If that is too subjective for you try this from John Hopkins
“People with a family history of heart disease who also had a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook.”
There are many others just look.
That’s an example of those with a positive outlook not contracting a disease in the first instance, not being more likely to survive one that’s already taken hold.
As stated before, i’m inclined to think positivity has no real downsides, within reason and that there is a mind-body link between positivity and good health, but is that simply because those with a positive outlook are more likely to take care of themselves with exercise and a good diet?
That’s an example of those with a positive outlook not contracting a disease in the first instance, not being more likely to survive one that’s already taken hold.
As stated before, i’m inclined to think positivity has no real downsides, within reason and that there is a mind-body link between positivity and good health, but is that simply because those with a positive outlook are more likely to take care of themselves with exercise and a good diet?
Not sure why you forward a progressive political activist and journalist on this matter.
Anyway I have discussed this widely with doctors and they all agree it helps.
If that is too subjective for you try this from John Hopkins
“People with a family history of heart disease who also had a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook.”
There are many others just look.
Studies in the 80s showed no difference in cancer survival rates depending on positive mood.
Isn’t religion is composed of theology, morality and liturgy?
So spirituality is not religion.
“if you think you are spiritual you are religious”
That could be turned on its head, i.e. if you’re religious, you’re actually spiritual but just directing your spirituality towards a particular frame of reference, usually (but not always) involving a god.
I fully agree with your point about positive thinking being helpful in life though. What i find interesting is the phenomenon of “imposter syndrome”, whereby someone who’s achieved a degree of success finds themselves feeling unworthy of it. The obverse is, i suppose, narcissism.
Is there any scientific evidence that “positive thinking” helps people survive serious illnesses?
I thought Barbara Ehrenreich had debunked this myth years ago.
Studies in the 80s showed no difference in cancer survival rates depending on positive mood.
Isn’t religion is composed of theology, morality and liturgy?
So spirituality is not religion.
Interesting – this is of course what happens when you take out balance/reality and just hear what you want to hear. Undoubtedly “positive thinking” helps in life – for example those who remain positive during a serious illness are more likely to survive, however, obviously, no amount of positive thinking will allow you to fly if you jump off a tall building.
As an aside, if you think you are spiritual you are religious- maybe not necessarily religious in the the way you think of perceived conventional religion but religious nonetheless.
Interesting – this is of course what happens when you take out balance/reality and just hear what you want to hear. Undoubtedly “positive thinking” helps in life – for example those who remain positive during a serious illness are more likely to survive however, obviously, no amount of positive thinking will allow you to fly if you jump off a tall building.
As an aside, if you think you are spiritual you are religious- maybe not necessarily religious in the the way you think of perceived conventional religion but religious nonetheless.
Manifesting may be over-sold, but the idea that mindset is critical to one’s happiness – or lack of – seems utterly noncontroversial. The grouch who wakes up determined to be miserable will find all sorts of reasons to be miserable. On the other hand, the person who determines to be happy will be happy, often in spite of the humdrum of daily life.
Manifesting may be over-sold, but the idea that mindset is critical to one’s happiness – or lack of – seems utterly noncontroversial. The grouch who wakes up determined to be miserable will find all sorts of reasons to be miserable. On the other hand, the person who determines to be happy will be happy, often in spite of the humdrum of daily life.
Good article. Evangelicalism has a long history in this country, going back to the first and second “Great Awakenings.” Ironically two of the most famous evangelicals to have held millions of Americans spellbound–George Whitfield and Aimee Semple MacPherson–weren’t even American. And though he wasn’t strictly speaking an evangelical, you can add a third –Bishop Fulton J, Sheen, the first “televangelist.” Like Billy Graham, they knew how to hold a crowd in their hands.
And as we have seen, “magical thinking” is hardly limited to religion.
As Liz Trust found out !!!
As Liz Trust found out !!!
Good article. Evangelicalism has a long history in this country, going back to the first and second “Great Awakenings.” Ironically two of the most famous evangelicals to have held millions of Americans spellbound–George Whitfield and Aimee Semple MacPherson–weren’t even American. And though he wasn’t strictly speaking an evangelical, you can add a third –Bishop Fulton J, Sheen, the first “televangelist.” Like Billy Graham, they knew how to hold a crowd in their hands.
And as we have seen, “magical thinking” is hardly limited to religion.
‘Manifesting’ is, at best, a crude attempt to understand a fundamental psychological process – will-to-meaning (at worst, it’s a conman’s pitch). A baby is clear in its mind that it wants to learn language, grow, walk, recognise faces. It does not consciously know of these things, but hey-ho, as if by magic, a few years pass and these goals have manifested – like wow dude! Set it a task and the mind will beaver away to get that done, scanning for opportunities, motivating us to do stuff that will likely lead to where we want to go, crunching the numbers; we’re only be conscious of a tiny part of that, and so it appears magical.
Agreed, although the ‘tiny part’ of which we’re ever appraised is likely to be the whole. All else is the machination of others – ostensibly for our benefit.
Agreed, although the ‘tiny part’ of which we’re ever appraised is likely to be the whole. All else is the machination of others – ostensibly for our benefit.
‘Manifesting’ is, at best, a crude attempt to understand a fundamental psychological process – will-to-meaning (at worst, it’s a conman’s pitch). A baby is clear in its mind that it wants to learn language, grow, walk, recognise faces. It does not consciously know of these things, but hey-ho, as if by magic, a few years pass and these goals have manifested – like wow dude! Set it a task and the mind will beaver away to get that done, scanning for opportunities, motivating us to do stuff that will likely lead to where we want to go, crunching the numbers; we’re only be conscious of a tiny part of that, and so it appears magical.
I was born into a saner world.
Faint praise, I know.
I was born into a saner world.
Faint praise, I know.
I understand your scepticism, Elle. It’s not good to hear about people getting taken advantage of by charlatans. However, the essence of this does work. The original law of attraction information gives people a way in which they can have more control over how they experience their lives. We can’t control what others do but we can learn to attract to ourselves more of what it is we want.
Eh ? Really ? The nonsense covered in the article is very different to things like CBT or Stoic philosophy that help people understand what is and is out of their control…”We can’t control what others do…” !
CBT and Stoic philosophy can be really helpful, I agree.
The original law of attraction material differs to the examples in this article as it encourages people to take responsibility for themselves and what they create in their lives, and shows them how to work with the power of positive thinking.
CBT and Stoic philosophy can be really helpful, I agree.
The original law of attraction material differs to the examples in this article as it encourages people to take responsibility for themselves and what they create in their lives, and shows them how to work with the power of positive thinking.
Eh ? Really ? The nonsense covered in the article is very different to things like CBT or Stoic philosophy that help people understand what is and is out of their control…”We can’t control what others do…” !
I understand your scepticism, Elle. It’s not good to hear about people getting taken advantage of by charlatans. However, the essence of this does work. The original law of attraction information gives people a way in which they can have more control over how they experience their lives. We can’t control what others do but we can learn to attract to ourselves more of what it is we want.
“Positive Thinking was the final stop on American Protestantism’s journey away from Calvinism” — not quite true, the journey continues even now as wokesters in the Protestant church assail the last vestiges of tradition in the old mainline congregations.
Don’t be silly. Despite the dubious choice of intoductory image, this cannot be attributed to your lazily employed ‘wokeist’ bugbear. It’s more Catholic/Latin American, in my experience – and there exist very many exclusively white, exclusively middle class ‘christian’ subsects throughout the Home Counties, for whom the unaccountable practice of ‘tithing’ is the funding principle. A scam is a scam is a scam – at least Black communities had a valid justification for seeking a more just and equitable life than that offered by Western racism.
Don’t be silly. Despite the dubious choice of intoductory image, this cannot be attributed to your lazily employed ‘wokeist’ bugbear. It’s more Catholic/Latin American, in my experience – and there exist very many exclusively white, exclusively middle class ‘christian’ subsects throughout the Home Counties, for whom the unaccountable practice of ‘tithing’ is the funding principle. A scam is a scam is a scam – at least Black communities had a valid justification for seeking a more just and equitable life than that offered by Western racism.
“Positive Thinking was the final stop on American Protestantism’s journey away from Calvinism” — not quite true, the journey continues even now as wokesters in the Protestant church assail the last vestiges of tradition in the old mainline congregations.
The fact that Trump is a devotee indicates that it’s all a scam, a grift, designed to extract money from the gullible.
It’s more than that. It directs American thinking at a very fundamental level. Since living here, I’ve noticed that it is perfectly normal for Americans to live well above their means – not just the poor, but the affluent middle-classes too. Very often you will see families with parents working almost every hour in the day to maintain a four bedroom house, three kids, a dog, and two cars. At the same time, they will also be tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. The prosperity gospel has transcended its evangelical roots and transposed itself on to every facet of American society.
I think the thought process here is that if you don’t appear to possess the trappings of a rich person, you will never become a rich person. Of course, thinking like this is what keeps everyone very poor. Then again, I’ve never been in any other country where people work as hard as Americans. I do wonder if that is the reason many of them seem very miserable and need to be emotionally stabilized via medication.
Well said! It’s also reflects the idea that everyone now defines themselves as a consumer. You need to show everyone all the trappings if you are to be a successful consumer.
Well said! It’s also reflects the idea that everyone now defines themselves as a consumer. You need to show everyone all the trappings if you are to be a successful consumer.
Poor John.
It’s more than that. It directs American thinking at a very fundamental level. Since living here, I’ve noticed that it is perfectly normal for Americans to live well above their means – not just the poor, but the affluent middle-classes too. Very often you will see families with parents working almost every hour in the day to maintain a four bedroom house, three kids, a dog, and two cars. At the same time, they will also be tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. The prosperity gospel has transcended its evangelical roots and transposed itself on to every facet of American society.
I think the thought process here is that if you don’t appear to possess the trappings of a rich person, you will never become a rich person. Of course, thinking like this is what keeps everyone very poor. Then again, I’ve never been in any other country where people work as hard as Americans. I do wonder if that is the reason many of them seem very miserable and need to be emotionally stabilized via medication.
Poor John.
The fact that Trump is a devotee indicates that it’s all a scam, a grift, designed to extract money from the gullible.
The fondest wish of nearly every human being is to get something for nothing. Or nearly nothing — like, for example, saying a prayer or thinking a thought. The human tendency to see patterns and connections where none actually exist makes it seem plausible that prayer and thinking alone can actually get you something for nearly nothing.
Humans. Ugh.
Though, to be fair, most people grow up, and work hard just to get by. Then there are many, as per Steve Murray comment, who have imposter syndrome – they are really quite successful, have achieved a lot, and yet are plagued by doubts….and the opposite are the narcissists. Those who, like Trump, think the world of themselves, and yet have actually achieved nothing of real value. We live in an age of narcissism, and manifesting is just one expression of that.
Yes, that is human nature–in a word, fallen.
For the faithful, prayer is, among other things, the remedy to the attitude of “wanting something for nothing.”
Though, to be fair, most people grow up, and work hard just to get by. Then there are many, as per Steve Murray comment, who have imposter syndrome – they are really quite successful, have achieved a lot, and yet are plagued by doubts….and the opposite are the narcissists. Those who, like Trump, think the world of themselves, and yet have actually achieved nothing of real value. We live in an age of narcissism, and manifesting is just one expression of that.
Yes, that is human nature–in a word, fallen.
For the faithful, prayer is, among other things, the remedy to the attitude of “wanting something for nothing.”
The fondest wish of nearly every human being is to get something for nothing. Or nearly nothing — like, for example, saying a prayer or thinking a thought. The human tendency to see patterns and connections where none actually exist makes it seem plausible that prayer and thinking alone can actually get you something for nearly nothing.
Humans. Ugh.
Magical thinking lives on, when people are desperate……and easier than reading a book on economics……
We get it Graeme, you’re terribly smart.
We get it Graeme, you’re terribly smart.
Magical thinking lives on, when people are desperate……and easier than reading a book on economics……
Makes m want to spew.
I’m curious to know the relevance of the photo at the top of this article to its subject?