"The Secret" is apparently a diet plan

[spinbaby]

I stopped at a favorite Chinese buffet for lunch today while I was out running errands. Turned out to be a mistake because I hadn't reckoned with the nearby mega-church letting out at around noon. The nice quiet buffet turned into a really crowded buffet in the space of about ten minutes. Anyway, a rather plump over-groomed family--parents and a teenage girl--sat down in the booth behind me. Every word of their conversation was, of course, totally audible to me because they were right behind me. They had an ordinary conversation about the sermon, whom they saw at church, what grandma did...and then the conversation turned to "The Secret."

Now I've vaguely heard of "The Secret" and took it to be just another "Power of Postive Thinking" experience. But, if this family is to be believed, "The Secret" is that you can lose weight, not by eating less food, but by thinking thin thoughts. So apparently, if you think you're getting thin while pigging out at the Chinese buffet, then you will get thin while pigging out at the Chinese buffet.

Hmmm...I'm going to have to look into this. My pants feel a bit tight after pigging out at the Chinese buffet.

[ghostsofgiants]

1. Are you talking about this?

[spinbaby]

2. I think so

They kept going on about how, according to "the secret," they had to think thin thoughts. I took it to mean that they were following this video. There was a lot of "thin thoughts" reminding going on and talking about how wonderful "the secret" was. I could be wrong.

[ghostsofgiants]

3. It's based on the "Law of Attraction."

http://skepdic.com/lawofattraction.html

[NashVegas]

4. Remember The Celestine Prophecies?

The Secret just looks like this year's model to me.

But a friend of mine is really into it and it's all I can do to hold back the snark. If he thinks it's helping him, who am I to say otherwise?

[spinbaby]

5. They kind of believe in belief

If you believe something then it must be true. Come to think of it, I think Fox Noise operates on this principle.

[petronius]

6. I think I can fly...

To the roof, everybody! :silly:

[philosophie_en_rose]

7. Ah. The truthiness will set us free.

:)