The Power of Positive Thinking
The power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide to Managing the challenges of everyday Living is a self-help guide written by American pastor Norman Vincent Peale. It offers some anecdotal "case histories" of positive thinking that visualizations follow biblical methods as well as practical tips that were created to help readers maintain a positive and positive outlook.
The techniques typically involved affirmations and visualisations. Peale said that these methods could give readers greater satisfaction and better satisfaction with life. The book was not well-reviewed by medical experts and scholars However, it was a hit with the general population and has been well-received.
Author
Norman Vincent Peale, born in 1898 in the southwestern part of Ohio was a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and later earned his master's and bachelor's degree in sacred theology at the Boston University's School of Theology. Peale was then enrolled at Syracuse University where he received a Doctor of Divinity degree.
After serving 10 times in the position of a Methodist pastor at the time of his arrival in New York, Peale became the pastor of New York City's Marble Collegiate Church where he remained for 52 years until the time of his death in. In his time as a pastor, Peale wrote more than 40 books and was a sought-after motivational speaker. He also established weekly radio and television shows, established his own organization, the American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry, and co-founded the spiritual journal Guideposts together with his wife Ruth Stafford Peale.
Publication
The Power of Positive Thinking was published in October 1952and remains to be his most read book. It was featured on the New York Times best-sellers list for 186 weeks. 48 of them were at the top. 1 non-fiction spot.
The book sold over 5 million copies in the world approximately 2.5 million between 1952 and the year 195 and eventually was translated into more than 40 languages. Other books that were published by Peale in the year 1952 included The Art of Real Happiness released in 1950 and the inspirational Messages for Daily Living, released in 1955.
The Power of Positive Thinking appeared in a period of Christian church attendance was rapidly growing, the national perceptions of the individual, religion, and religion were undergoing a shift and there was a growing concern about the Cold War was a growing worry in the minds of many Americans.
These and other factors along with Peale's increasing popularity as a motivational public figure as well as the book's concise prose led to the transformation of The Power of Positive Thinking into a self-help guide that is in high demand in the present.
Synopsis
Peale begins by describing 10 rules to follow in "overcoming inadequacy attitudes and learning to practice faith". The rules are as follows:
Imagine yourself winning.
Find positive thoughts to block out the negative thoughts.
Reduce the obstructions.
Don't try to copy other people.
Repetition "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Ten times a day.
Get a counselor.
Continue to repeat "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" 10 times a day.
Build self-esteem and confidence.
Confirm your place in the hands of God.
Believe that you are granted strength from God.
The next chapter discusses the importance of establishing peace in the mind. This can be achieved through inspiring reading, clearing the mind, or imagining. Peale discusses the steps to maintain constant energy, stating the following "God is the source of all energy".
The mind determines how your body reacts to the environment; so, letting go of emotional and negative energy will provide endless energy to God. In the next chapter, Peale speaks of the power of prayer to heal and how it can solve emotional and physical problems that result from stressful circumstances. In chapters 5 and 6, Peale asserts that happiness is a choice that can be made and that worry only hinders it and must be eliminated. The next step to thinking positively is to believe in the possibility of success, and not be a believer in defeat, as the majority of obstacles can be attributed to "mental in character".
Worrying about the past is the next hurdle to overcome by emptying the mind with positive affirmations and positive thoughts. Peale says that asking God to help solve problems, and also physically and emotionally cure them.
In chapter 12, Peale states that letting the anger go and embracing an attitude of calm could aid in overcoming physical ailments such as eczema. In the next chapter, Peale states that letting positive thoughts enter can dramatically alter your outlook on life and that relaxing with God's grace will result in a happy life.
Chapter 15 gives specific examples of how to make others like you. It includes the following: keep track of names, generously praise others and be a good person and deal with problems in a calm manner when they arise.
Peale is then on the lookout for ways to conquer heartache with prayer as well as meditation, social interactions, and a regular routine. The last chapter reaffirms the importance of reaching out to the Higher Power for assistance in living a calm and happy life.
Peale closes The Power of Positive Thinking with an epilogue that encourages readers to apply his methods to live happier lives. Peale writes "I ask for your prayers. God will be with you -to believe in Him and live your life with success."
Reception
Criticisms
Peale's book was the subject of criticism from a variety of psychologists, psychiatrists, and academics. A major criticism of Peale's book was its lack of reliable sources. Peale's book The Power of Positive Thinking includes numerous personal stories that the reader is not capable of confirming. The book contains stories about "a business executive", "a man, an alcoholic", "a friend of [Peale's], a midwestern businessman" as well as others who are not named and are not verified by the data Peale gives with each anecdote.
Similarity to Hypnosis
R. C. Murphy a well-known psychiatrist who operates in Tacoma, Washington, and addresses another issue with Peale's work in an essay that appeared in The Nation dated May 7 55. Murphy compares Peale's ideas in The Power of Positive Thinking to hypnosis's, noting the following "self-knowledge, in Mr. Peale's understanding, is unequivocally bad; self-hypnosis is good."
Murphy clarifies that frequent hypnosis can destroy a person's motivation to do something, their sense of reality, as well as the capacity in thinking critically. Peale's view of the brain is faulty and his explanation of the brain's workings is misleadingly inaccurate and inaccurate.
Murphy says that if man's subconscious "can be thought of as a container that holds only a few mental fragments," then concepts such as mind-drainage' come along.visualizations
Also, the use of self-hypnosis that is the underlying principle in Mr. Peale's method of thinking." Murphy concludes that the methods of positive thinking used by Peale have too much in common with self-hypnosis, and are not adequate for the needs of readers for self-improvement.
Albert Ellis, an influential psychologist in the 20th century and pioneer of cognitive therapy also criticized Peale's methods due to their resemblance to the practice of hypnotism. He compared the techniques he presented with the techniques used by hypnotist Emile Coue, and argued that the usage of these hypnotic methods can lead to serious mental health issues. Ellis said that in the end, the teachings of Peale "lead to failure and disillusionment, and not only boomerang back against people but often prejudice them against effective therapy."
Techniques' effectiveness
Another critique is that Peale's philosophy does not realize through the methods that are presented. R. C. Murphy states that the teachings of Peale "endorse the cruelties which men commit against each other" and urges the readers to "give up [they're] strivings and feel free to hate as much as [they] like". Murphy claims that by teaching others to defuse any negativity, Peale is fostering negativity and anger.
Harvard expert Donald Meyer presents a similar critique in his essay "Confidence Man" written in 1955. Meyer states"The Power of Positive Thinking" The Power of Positive Thinking offers a limited understanding of the limits of readers but doesn't give the self-confidence necessary to overpower those limitations.
He continues to compare Peale to a conman saying that the issue with Peale is what he calls the "paltriness of the faith that he preached. He didn't try to trick you into believing you could accomplish anything, or even live a life of greatness. He didn't let you be aware of higher levels any more than more depths."
Psychologist Martin Seligman, former APA president and the founder of the field of positive psychology, criticizes Peale's method in his book"Authentic Happiness,. Seligman writes that "positive thinking often involves trying to believe upbeat statements such as 'Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better,' in the absence of evidence, or even in the face of contrary evidence."
Seligman is continuing his argument with the following statement "if you can manage the challenge of actually believing these statements then more power to you. Many educated individuals, well-trained to think skeptically, can't be able to handle this kind of boost.
In the same way, Donald Meyer, in his book The Positive Thinkers, critiques the effectiveness of Peale's tactics stating the following: Peale always "reacted to the image of harshness with flight rather than competitive fight."
Meyer later mentions Peale as saying "No man, no matter how enthralling or ferocious, can be an equal opponent to so formidable an adversary as the hostile world. At best, he is an insignificant and nimble creature who is largely dependent on the forces of the universe and society that he lives."
Meyer believes that positive thinking can be negative for individuals; Peale makes people appear weak in comparison in his "hostile world" with only the assistance of his strategies to get over negative situations. Additionally, Meyer also questions the effectiveness of Peale's positive thought strategies in the hostile setting Peale provides.
Theological critique
Episcopal Theologian John M. Krumm criticized Peale's beliefs for their foundation in the religion of Christianity, defining his doctrines as being heretical. Krumm wrote the following "the emphasis upon techniques such as the repetition of confident phrases" or "the manipulation of certain mechanical devices" creates "the impression of a thoroughly depersonalized religion. Very little is said about the sovereign mind and purpose of God; much is made of the things men can say to themselves and can do to bring about their ambitions and purposes."
Krumm asserts that Peale is not backed by faith-based backing to back his methods. Krumm concludes with a caution: "the predominant use of impersonal symbols for God is a serious and dangerous invitation to regard man as the center of reality and the Divine Reality as an impersonal power, the use and purpose of which is determined by the man who takes hold of it and employs it as he thinks best."
Edmund Fuller, the book review editor of Episcopal Church news, warned against following the teachings of Peale in an article entitled "Pitchmen in the Pulpit" in March 1957. Fuller warns readers not to trust Peale simply because his title was ministerial.
Peale writes that his books do not have any connection with Christianity in that they "influence the ignorant and frequently cause disillusionment to maladjusted, sickly or unhappy people while obscuring the Christian reality.
They provide simple comforts, simple solutions to issues and mysteries that, at times, offer none of the comforts or solutions even in simple or general terms. They provide cheap "happiness instead of the happiness Christianity can provide."
Positive reviews
Theologians and mental health experts have been critical of Peale's ideas of The Power of Positive Thinking however, the general public applauded the self-help manual. The Los Angeles Times estimates that "legions of followers testified that Peale's message changed their lives for the better and represented the best combination of faith and pragmatism."
This is evident by the popularity of the book which sold over 5 million copies across the globe and eventually was translated into more than 40 languages. Additionally, Peale was close friends with American presidents Eisenhower and Nixon, and both were highly impressed by his positive principles.
Numerous others have credited The Power of Positive Thinking to help them overcome challenges, including George Foster, of the Cincinnati Reds, Rev. Robert Schuller, founder and pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove as well as Billy Graham, a prominent Southern Baptist Minister.