View Single Post
Old 05-19-2014, 08:11 PM   #33
bignothing
Demi-God
 
bignothing's Avatar
 
Posts: 413
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by scottytheoneand View Post
I hate self help platitudes. Especially in relation to the business community, which likes to expouse that nonsense. I've sat through countless business seminars over the years that could all be summed up by one or two lame self help statements. They all boil down to a perspective that sees happiness, success, failure and misery as simple choices. IE. if you're happy and rich you must have earned it. If you're miserable and poor you must deserve it.
When I was 17 (and trying to die a lot) my parents sent me to this sort of counseling out of town with lots of other people who were going through depression or needed a guidance in life (no idea what that would be called - not a seminar, more like a retreat?). Anyway, we weren't allowed phones or any outside contact for four days, and had lots of activities that were so typical of self-help + the added benefit of religious undertones. The guy leading it was some big business dude, so my parents (who do not believe in psychology) thought it was a legit thing in which I should participate.

I sorta liked it cause they made me walk on "fire." My favorite part was the activity where you had to shout insults at people until they broke down... and then you hugged them. 17 yr old me yelling PRETENTIOUS (?) at 55 year old businessmen, some of whom worked with my parents, was so weird. Then on the last day we received letters from our loved ones (just my family really) and when everything was over they played "Angels" by Robbie Williams lollol I mean... Not a single thing was achieved by those four days.

 
bignothing is offline