Is self help/empowerment/positive thinking very popular in Europe or Asia? (money, weight)

[Anna Maria]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

I think Europeans and Asians would be horrified by Dr. Phil....as they should be.

Um yes

I live in the UAE we have Dr Phil and Oprah 5 nights per week.

Painful

[jhassler]

Dr. Phil impersonation.....

"PEOPLE DON'T LIKE YOO BECUZ YER UGLY AND STOOOPID....IN ORDER TO GET PEEPLE TO LIKE YOOO...YOOO NEED TO BE LESS UGLY AND STOOOPID...BUT YOOO FIRST NEED TO REELIZE THAT YER UGLY AND STOOOPID, AND LERN TO LOVE THAT ABOUT YERSELF..."

This "self-help" phenomenon is pure drivel, in my opinion...I blame Oprah..

[dullnboring]

Originally Posted by Anna Maria

Um yes

I live in the UAE we have Dr Phil and Oprah 5 nights per week.

Painful

Oprah's fine and dandy with me. But Dr. Phil, he needs to be deported or something.

[AQUEMINI331]

I hope not. I honestly believe people in much of the rest of the world are healthier (mentally and emotionally) than most Americans, and this is even in developing countries where the people make much less money per year than the average or even "low-income" American.


Life is SO not about money, people. You need money but money is not all you need. Books on how to get rich? Pass. How about books on how to improve your life, and develop closer and healthier relationships with friends and family? Those books are more worth a read than some book telling you how to get rich quick. The only people who are going to get rich quick are the authors and the publishers of those get-rich books because of all of the idiots in this country who don't want to work for what they get and earn their keep.


_

[Visvaldis]

Americans worship money as the meaning of life.
What's the other thing Americans are interested in?

[Anna Maria]

Originally Posted by jhassler

Dr. Phil impersonation.....

"PEOPLE DON'T LIKE YOO BECUZ YER UGLY AND STOOOPID....IN ORDER TO GET PEEPLE TO LIKE YOOO...YOOO NEED TO BE LESS UGLY AND STOOOPID...BUT YOOO FIRST NEED TO REELIZE THAT YER UGLY AND STOOOPID, AND LERN TO LOVE THAT ABOUT YERSELF..."

This "self-help" phenomenon is pure drivel, in my opinion...I blame Oprah..

Funny and how about IS THAT WORKING FOR YA

[Anna Maria]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

Oprah's fine and dandy with me. But Dr. Phil, he needs to be deported or something.

Oprah gave us Dr Phil and that awful loud screaching Rachael Ray.

I used to like Oprah about 5 years ago, just think she has got out of control and extremely full of herself. very opinionated which is not attractive and dangerous

[cheekymonkey]

I also find Dr. Phil particularly obnoxious and smarmy, even though he's a fellow Texan. Pop psychology meets crass commercialism.

As for Oprah, she still has something to say -- on occasion. And yes, she's pretty full of herself these days. But in all fairness to Oprah, maybe it would be damn near impossible for ANYBODY to attain that level of success without developing an inflated ego?

Oprah now has such a massive following that she could recommend that all her viewers start eating you-know-what on a shingle, and that's exactly what millions of her viewers would do -- on cue!

I haven't watched Oprah recently (better things to do), but I understand she endorses Obama. I don't think Obama is evil -- like some of the other candidates whom I won't mention. But, on the other hand, he's just another airhead who doesn't really bring anything new to the table.

As for all the positive thinking crap, I'm a little over 50 years old, o.k.? I remember a time about 30-40 years ago when MOST people were naturally quite happy. They didn't have to go through a bunch of mental gymnastics just to function, nor did they have to take Paxil, Prozac, etc.

Nowadays, what passes for society in America has become a race to the bottom. Yes, crass materialism is part of the equation. But I understand why people are driven to that extent. It sucks not to have a lot of money in this type of society, where practically everything has become painfully expensive, we're all taxed to death, and wages for the average worker have not even remotely kept pace with inflation (i.e., DEVALUATION!)

Meanwhile, forces are at work to undermine the traditional family (in case the family is not already in enough trouble.) I agree that we definitely should cultivate better friendships and relationships in this lifetime. That is where the real treasure is. It took me a lot of years to figure that out.

My family, like so many others, is a really dysfunctional mess. I still care about them, and wish them the best, even though I just can't deal with their judgmental attitudes. My advice is to treat others in such a way that if they died, you wouldn't feel sorry for something you refused to resolve while they were alive. And tell them how much you love them a few times along the way, because maybe they need to hear that from you.

[Rockrocks]

No, but I have to say me myself a exception

[Kers]

How Soul power changes lives?