Say What?: The (Completely Ridiculous) Secret

If you haven’t read it, I am sure you’ve heard about it. The Secret -- a book revealing the "ancient secret" that, surprise, optimism and believing in yourself are more likely to get you the life you want than negativity and anger -- has been topping best-selling lists all over the globe.

Thanks to its overproduced wannabe Da Vinci Code feel, it is initially thought-provoking and inspiring (largely due to its glossy marketing until you realize, “Well, yeah, of course I’m more likely to be successful if I believe in myself and utilize opportunities rather than think I’m doomed for failure and give up on myself.”

In essence, "The Secret" is to make the masses believe you hold the key to their happiness, and ask them to pay for your "wisdom".

Anyway, I recently came across the following passage in the book version of The Secret that had me completely flabbergasted.

“The most common thought that people hold, and I held it too, is that food was responsible for my weight gain. That is a belief that does not serve you, and in my mind is complete balderdash! Food is not responsible for putting on weight. It is your thought that food is responsible for putting on weight that actually has food put on weight.”

Why this is under "self-help" and not "science fiction" beats me.

The author goes on to write:

“Food cannot cause you to put on weight, unless you think it can. You most likely know of someone who is thin and eats like a horse, and they proudly declare, “I can eat whatever I want and I am always the perfect weight.” And so the Genie of the Universe says, “Your wish is my command.”

The Genie of The Universe??

Wait, there’s more!

“Write out your perfect weight and place it over the readout of your scale. If you see people who are overweight, do not observe them, but immediately switch your mind to the picture of you in your perfect body and feel it.”

I had to pick my jaw up from the floor after reading that. In fact, I read it five times to make sure I was reading this correctly. Then, I just got very angry.

Apart from the disturbing notion that you should shield your eyes from overweight people (gee, because being overweight isn’t hard enough), this book completely discredits nutrition.

I certainly hope the millions of people who have bought into “the secret” aren’t fooling themselves into thinking they can eat whatever they want as long as they truly BELIEVE they can fit into their Size 2 jeans next month.

No matter how hard you wish, a Starbucks chocolate chip cookie will always add 400 calories to your day (that’s more than a medium order of Fries at McDonald’s, by the way). And, no, it is not possible to not give a second thought to what goes into your mouth and expect to be a walking image of perfect health.

I don’t know what’s worse – the implied “blame the victim” subtext (if you gained weight after eating pizza every night it’s because you just don’t truly believe in yourself) or the fact that the author, Rhonda Byrne, is making millions spreading such delusional concepts.

PS: Here is a great deconstruction of this massively popular book.