The Secret (2006) Reviews

• Uplifting message, but overdone, incomplete and not that much of a secret.

  henckques2007-07-21

  I've watched the whole documentary and these are my impressions divided into positive (+), neutral (±) and negative (-) remarks. (+) To those who experience negative thoughts throughout every day this is a great opportunity to change their way of thinking. This documentary encourages people to change their lives in a positive way. (+) The theory is explained in a way that's easy to comprehend. To those who are already familiar with this theory (resembling Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) it may seem repetitive, but to newcomers this might be necessary. (±) In my opinion, there are claims being made during the documentary that aren't backed up with solid proof. They do tell some remarkable stories, but it doesn't really convince me for some reason. (±) Several times the interviewees give certain numbers and facts as proof of a statement they're making, but the methods of researching those facts aren't being explained. You just have to believe that what they say is true. (-) At start The Secret gives the impression that you're going to watch a movie about a woman who will discover "The Secret", how and why it has been kept as a secret for so long, exposing a conspiracy and in the end revealing the secret to the viewer... But it's none of that. It's basically just a documentary. (-) It's overdone. It feels like I'm watching Tel Sell, and the talking just goes on and on... (But again, to newcomers and people who need a periodical pep talk this might be just the right thing.) (-) At a certain point, the documentary talks about a "constant state of joy" (at least twice)! The makers of this movie fail to mention that there is nothing wrong with grief and such feelings. If a family member or a good friend of yours dies, then why should you force yourself into a constant state of joy? It's alright to cry, be angry or whatever, as long as you don't exaggerate it, stay in control of yourself and act wisely. But the movie lacks in mentioning this. (-) The documentary does seem to emphasize on money, welfare and "thus" happiness. I miss the element of growth. If you'd live life the way they recommend you to it feels so superficial to me... As if at the end of your life you only seemed to care about your own well-being.

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• Imagine two scenarios...

  nikalbo2008-03-26

  Imagine two scenarios. First, a basketball player is on the free throw line. In his mind, he sees the ball going into the basket, traveling in that perfect trajectory - he envisions himself making the shot, his hands performing the perfect movement. Maybe he even repeats in his mind a few times "I will make this shot". He focuses on his confidence. He releases. The ball goes in. Second scenario - now, imagine a kid who wants a red bike. He shuts his eyes, thinks hard of a ride bike with a basket in front. He does this religiously, in fact that's all he does for two straight days - just lays in bed and thinks hard of his bike. After two days, he opens the door and lo and behold the exact red bike with a basket is sitting in the front yard. Now, come back to reality. Think about these two scenarios and ask yourself "Are these two the same?". Hopefully you answered "NO". Both demonstrate positive thinking - but there is a fine, but incredibly significant line that separates common sense from delirium. "The secret", while containing a few nuggets of truth, comes dangerously close to implying what the second scenario implies. And because of that, in the hands of the gullible and the desperate, this film may have a few positive benefits (hope) but could ultimately be dangerous (inaction, unreasonable expectations). Positive thinking has been proved to help - yes. Focus and concentration on your goals helps - yes. But, to use the basketball analogy, to make the shot you have to take it. "The Secret", with it's slick presentation, almost suggests that if you focus on the ball long enough some magical wind will carry it into the basket. To be fair, the film is not 100% of this - but believe me it comes dangerously close. It doesn't help that they allude to the book as if Thomas Jefferson and Einstein actually owned it and passed it along, that along with the titled people like John Doe, Physicist and John Doe, Author that they interviewed, they included John Doe, "Mystic" and John Doe, "Visionary" (what in god's name is a visionary anyway???). It's slick, over-produced, and will turn-off any sensible, intelligent person looking for an honest eye-opener. Look elsewhere for enlightenment and growth - there are a ton of books, old and new, that are better than this fluff masterpiece.

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• Here's the real secret: This move is disgusting, ridiculous, and ignorant.

  GreySphinx2006-09-05

  Much like "Loose Change" or any other conspiracy film, this piece is not without its die-hard supporters who claim that it's changed their life and that everyone who disagrees is a fool too closed-minded to see their One True Way. But if you're a fan of science or critical thinking (or thinking in general), this film will honestly waste 90 minutes of your life. It presents self-help book authors who think they've got a mandate to tell other people how to live their lives. It presents two people who claim to be scientists talking about this great, monumental discovery of the "Law" of Attraction, but have yet to win a Nobel Prize for such Earth-shattering work (or be taken seriously by the scientific community). It shamelessly cherry-picks quotes from a handful of famous people of the past and claims that they were all on board with this wonderful Secret (which explains why they got so rich and powerful). Indeed this makes you wonder why their "experts" like John Gray haven't yet joined the Pantheon of world's greatest people. What is the Secret, you ask? Here it is in a nutshell: The movie first suckers the simple-minded into believing it has some validity by first presenting the revolutionary concept that boils down to "a positive outlook on life makes you more pleasant and makes you experience your day better". Wow, truly ground-breaking, thanks! But much like any pseudo-science, it takes a common knowledge that people agree with and then springboards off it to draw ridiculous conclusions, namely that your mind is a beacon that continually communicates with the universe and because the universe truly cares about you, it grants you everything you ever dream about: Wealth, power, fame. Seriously. This is their law of attraction: What you think about.... happens. And oh yeah, every bit of negativity in your life is due to your negative thoughts and you could've avoided this negativity by simply wishing a little harder and being more positive. And that's where the most offensive part of the film comes in because while such a point of view may not be too offensive for middle-class well-fed Americans and their worst problems (bills, heckling, lack of love), it's an incredible insult to anyone who has ever been through real suffering and negativity: The Jews of the Holocaust, the office workers of the World Trade Center, the starving kids in Africa, anyone who ever got killed in an earthquake, landslide, hurricane, tornado, etc. Suddenly the "avoid bad things by thinking positively" starts seeming ridiculous and yet it's a problem that needs to be addressed by these "experts" before pushing an infantile concept that claims to solve every human problem in the universe for more book/CD/DVD sales. How do these people propose to solve such problems and prove their point? They treat their audience like children by showing examples of Aladdin with a Genie that says "Your wish is my command" to explain just how the universe actually functions. They paint a scenario where a boy wants a bicycle really badly and instead of asking his parents for it, saving his change, or opening up a lemonade stand, he merely cuts out a magazine clipping of the bike, concentrates really hard, wishes and wishes, and lo and behold, an old man (who I hope is a relative) one day appears at his door with a brand-new bike. Really! Then they go on to show a guy who got paralyzed in an accident but due to some kind of unseen luck, makes a recovery and walks again. He claims this happened because he was always positive and wished that he could walk again. So the Secret really works! Not quite, especially when you consider the fact that most people who become paralyzed never make any recovery (Christopher Reeve apparently was positive enough to achieve fame and fortune but didn't wish hard enough to walk again after his accident). Again and again, the film insults victims of real misfortune by reducing the world's misery to trivial problems that can all be solved in the mind. It appeals to folks with no real troubles of their own as a cheap-fix self-help solution while I can't imagine what it must be like for victims of ACTUAL misfortune to sit there and be told that "it's all in your mind". The movie is disgusting, ridiculous, ignorant, and self-centered. It gives the foolish an easy answer but glazes over a problem so complex as human misery with a childish fairy tale. I recommend this movie if you liked "Loose Change". All others, you have been warned. Oh yeah, and the cinematography was cheesy.

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• Victim Blaming goes Digital

  OnlyPassingBy2006-11-26

  After briefly seeing a snip of some of this on the Larry King show, I was curious and purchased a copy. I found the artwork beautiful in places, cheesy in others. And the message, while uplifting at times, has it's own negative side behind all the pretty new age music. I have a very difficult time with the victim blaming concept put forth by those who follow this. I have read them account abuse, rape, slavery, holocausts, natural disasters, etc. to the Law of Attraction. When pushed for an answer on how even a child could attract or manifest these horrors to their lives, they'll blame it on karma - perhaps the child abused, raped or otherwise brought this to themselves in a "past life" Oh, please. While I agree to a point that you do attract circumstances and people by your own thoughts and actions, I reject the basic concept of this movie that 100% of everything that happens to every single person no matter what their race, religion, etc. they brought upon themselves.

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• American consumer propaganda at it's worst....

  x498a2006-11-18

  So it turns out that the self help boom of the tony robins era is far from over. It's just been re-packaged into a convoluted theory that has no solid foundation of proof. Instead of a supercharged seminar style address by a charismatic pep talker, we hear the scripted rhetoric of less than credible "professionals" set in front of background images that do little to bolster their credentials. In addition to the ambiguous theories about the human mind and it's interaction with the universe, we are presented with short clips demonstrating concepts to us as if we were children requiring special instruction. Quite frankly the entire movie is an insult to common sense and lends itself to the likes of advertising propaganda that toy manufacturers employ to capitalise on fads and fashions. The alternative views proposed in this film, whilst on face value may appear to lure a viewer into believing they are remotely possible become quickly dispelled when the film fails to provide any reasonable explanation and in fact uses a common psychological hook to then divert the viewers attention into a consumerist attitude promoting prosperity and wealth. The old, make them relate to stories of worthlessness then make them believe they can achieve anything, routine is one that will never seem to stop as long as there are manipulative money grabbers around. Sure, pay $45 to get the video, only to find out that your intelligence has been insulted and that everything you hear in this video is something you already knew.

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