The Kids Are Alright, But They Stil Hate The Secret
What is the reason that so many young adults are thumbing their nose in the general direction of the movie The Secret? Sure, we can blame some of it on the search for identity and the need to disassociate with all things in the mainstream, but my guess is that the kids are more advanced on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs than the intended audience of The Secret.
Not only are they more enlightened than most of the general populace – thanks to the shifts in thought of generations of leaders before them-, they are more aligned with who they truly are than older generations who have accepted atrophy in their lives. That’s not to say that this generation of young adults will always be operating higher up the scale all the time; most young adults are lacking the experience of having to provide basic human needs for themselves – Once they get out on their own, they may better understand the earnestness that many of the followers of The Secret apply to it’s basic premise, (thoughts become things) but I don’t think they will ever buy into it.
At any rate, many of the young adults I talk to just don’t get what the secret is offering, in fact, many of them are offended at the overt materialism and shallowness of the message. Blame it on Maslow, the secret doesn’t speak to people who are further up the hierarchy of need.
Thank Kandee G and Eva Gregory for tuning me into the fact that people gotta’ start somewhere, and if that somewhere is things, that’s OK. Kandee explained that if a person can believe that things are coming their way and then the things actually come, chances are, that person will gain confidence in the ability to bring what they want into their lives. She went on to say that once they gain the ability to draw stuff, usually, they gain the ability to see that the stuff isn’t “filling the gap” and they begin to reach for more intangible things, relationships, self respect, etc. Eva pointed out that The Secret is just the tip of the iceburg when it come to what the actual Law of Attraction is.
OK, so I get that, and I’ll accept that the movie has it’s place, and that for many people it’s an inspired beginning for them. I still think that The Secret is pretty yucky, it smacks of payoffs and self promotion and alot of words w/o much actual content. No matter it’s motive and lack of message, the shit could just be the fertilizer that many people need in order to start growing up the hierarchy of need to the destination of self actualization, but as far as my generation and younger are concerned, there has yet to be an inspirational movie made with a message that’s worth believing in.
This post was originally written April 28, 2008
Melissa, as a recent 40-something, I saw “The Secret” as a late-30-something.
I saw it, but I did not hear it. It was on the laptop of the woman next to me on a flight, and I was spared the audio track.
As a former teevee news weasel, I recognized most of the pretty dissolves and editing wizardry that are usually associated with eliciting emotional response — tricks typically employed when one has no facts or video of substance to substantiate the point being proffered.
But let’s get back to that languid editing for a moment. Maybe the “kids” don’t get “The Secret” because it is packaged in a format that doesn’t speak to them. Maybe if the people behind “The Secret” distilled their message in a series of shorter, choppier, edgier videos — or some other consumable format for the Media Snacker generation.
Just a thought — it might not be the substance they are rejecting, so much as the style. (Personally, I’m repulsed by both.)
Cheers!
@Ike,
You may be right about the Media Snacker generation, but if the message speaks to the young adults I know, they’ll watch anything for hours on end.