Just finished "Bright Sided" Barbara Ehrenreich's expose of the "positivity people"

[GoneOffShore]

The Secret followers, the worshippers at Joel Osteen's "church" and the rest of the weird proponents of "New Thought" as it was called back in the 1800's.

Frightening.

If you get sick it's because you let negative thoughts in.

If you get fired it's because you aren't a "team player" and are overanalyzing everything.

The list goes on.

And if you're rich you live in a self contained bubble.

Bizarro world.

[arcane1]

1. Fascinating book! I read it last year and then promptly bought two of her other books.

"Nickel and Dimed" and "Bait and Switch". Themes from "Bright Sided" reappear in those as well. I've seen those themes at my job! It seeps down through HR to every level, so you start seeing management using certain phrases, or adopting certain approaches, that are obviously insincere, deceptive, and new-agey.

If you ever hear the word "opportunity" uttered by someone two or more ranks above you, be skeptical!

[GoneOffShore]

2. Luckily I own my own business. And the only person I could use the word "opportunity" with

is my wife - and she out ranks me.

Of course there are always the clients who try that on.

Perfect example on YouTube - The Vendor-Client Relationship - herewith:

The opportunity word comes up at 1:09 and then there's more fun at 2:00

And here's another one -

[Ikonoklast]

3. If the company you work for uses that terminology, start looking for work.

They are on the path to failure.

Reality has a harsh way of making itself known to people that believe in this type of magical thinking.

[KG]

4. met people that believe in that crap, they believe in all kinds of other fantasies, too

[GoneOffShore]

5. Absolutely right.

Quite often something to do with crystals.

[KG]

6. mostly, they wish for good things, rather than actually doing anything to make it happen.

[raccoon]

7. Such victim-blaming BS some of that positivity stuff is. nt

[GoneOffShore]

8. Complete and utter - Rhonda Byrne is a prime example.

If you were in the path of the tsunami you must have had negative thoughts.

[Myrina]

9. Sounds like the mgmt philosophy of the company I used to work for ...

Everything's your own fault, and if you'd just smile and kiss enough ass, everyone will love you and the company will profit and we'll all be happy (except you, who will still be overworked, underpaid and fucked over ... but you'll be smiling) ...