Affirmations

[Holly3278]

Hey everyone. What do you all think about affirmations? An affirmation is when you say something to yourself such as “I am strong and I can get through this.” or something like that. It seems to be a New Age type of thing. What do you all think about it?

 

[LilyM]

I don’t think they’re bad per se - St Paul urges us in this Sunday’s readings to direct our thoughts to things that are good, noble, and holy, and affirmation-type practice would seem to be one way of doing this.

Indeed, there are some verses of scripture that would be great to use in a similar way to affirmations. ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ is strikingly similar
to your ‘I am strong and can get through this’, for starters.

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

Hey everyone. What do you all think about affirmations? An affirmation is when you say something to yourself such as “I am strong and I can get through this.” or something like that. It seems to be a New Age type of thing. What do you all think about it?

Yah, it is fashionable today. Yes high expectations lead to better performances.
But I prefer to be strong and to be able to get through this.

 

[Rascalking]

I think people who rely on those things are silly at best. If you need a “mantra” or something to get you through life, toughen up.

 

[JamestheOlder]

It used to be called “The Power of Positive Thinking (cf. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale)”. It also used to be taught as part of the old Dale Carnegie speaking course.

Positive reinforcement of oneself has much merit…but needs to be tempered with Christian humility (cf. St. Paul).

Press on!

 

[raaucoin]

I think people who rely on those things are silly at best. If you need a “mantra” or something to get you through life, toughen up.

If someone has been ridiculed, insulted, put down and their dignity as a child of God as been assaulted since a very young age- he or she has many old tapes playing in his head of how worthless,useless and good for nothing she is. These “mantras” can serve as a very useful tool in learning to love oneself.

My favorite was “I am a precious and valuable child of a Loving God who has a better way of life in store for me- a life I deserve because He wants me to have it”

you say “silly” I say wounded.

 

[promethius]

It used to be called “The Power of Positive Thinking (cf. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale)”. It also used to be taught as part of the old Dale Carnegie speaking course.

Positive reinforcement of oneself has much merit…but needs to be tempered with Christian humility (cf. St. Paul).

Press on!

Absolutely correct. Positive self-image has nothing to do with “new age” practices or “being weak” and everything to do with creating a path way to success… a track record based on the substance of decades of psychological study.

General Franks used to make a nightly list of five challenges and five opportunities for success that he expected to face the next day… I wonder if RascalKing would file him under the “needs to toughen up” category…?

 

[Rascalking]

If someone has been ridiculed, insulted, put down and their dignity as a child of God as been assaulted since a very young age- he or she has many old tapes playing in his head of how worthless,useless and good for nothing she is. These “mantras” can serve as a very useful tool in learning to love oneself.

My favorite was “I am a precious and valuable child of a Loving God who has a better way of life in store for me- a life I deserve because He wants me to have it”

you say “silly” I say wounded.

Sorry, I stand by everything I said. Life gets hard sometimes. Strong people survive and don’t spend their time spouting silly mantras. They rise up and prove their tormentors wrong by achieving things.

 

[JamestheOlder]

Sorry, I stand by everything I said. Life gets hard sometimes. Strong people survive and don’t spend their time spouting silly mantras. They rise up and prove their tormentors wrong by achieving things.

I think you rise up a bit fast to smite those who seem to disagree with you.

You are not wrong, yet the way you state your position offers no nuancing. It is necessary for one to decide to “man up” or “woman up” to overcome some stones that life has thrown in the way. But often that also involves finding a mentor or example to follow in order to establish one’s own sense of self-worth. And we, yes, we Christians, OWE that mentoring/example/lift/push to anyone we meet who may not believe they are a worthy child of G-d.

So, please take your own advice and “lighten up” a bit…don’t be so defensive…allow others to advise how one might “toughen up”, so we may make better examples for those who look to us for hope…and maybe for affirmation.

Peace be with you!

 

[promethius]

Sorry, I stand by everything I said. Life gets hard sometimes. Strong people survive and don’t spend their time spouting silly mantras. They rise up and prove their tormentors wrong by achieving things.

I’ll skip the discussion of Maslow’s Hierarchy and modern psychology to repeat my question:

Is 4-Star General Tommy Franks, former CENTCOM commander who led the invasion of Afghanistan AND Iraq and is arguably one of the most influential and controversial generals in the 21st century so far, weak since he follows a nightly “affirmation” regimen of identifying opportunities and challenges of the next day every evening before he goes to bed?

 

[Rascalking]

I think you rise up a bit fast to smite those who seem to disagree with you.

You are not wrong, yet the way you state your position offers no nuancing. It is necessary for one to decide to “man up” or “woman up” to overcome some stones that life has thrown in the way. But often that also involves finding a mentor or example to follow in order to establish one’s own sense of self-worth. And we, yes, we Christians, OWE that mentoring/example/lift/push to anyone we meet who may not believe they are a worthy child of G-d.

So, please take your own advice and “lighten up” a bit…don’t be so defensive…allow others to advise how one might “toughen up”, so we may make better examples for those who look to us for hope…and maybe for affirmation.

Peace be with you!

Peace be with you as well.

Thanks, I know I’m right.

Be careful when you say someone is being “Defensive”, because it doesn’t allow the other person to respond back. If I say, “No I’m not”. You say, “Well, that just proves it!”

I take my own advice by “lightening up” and not relying on silly self help affirmations.

 

[Rascalking]

I’ll skip the discussion of Maslow’s Hierarchy and modern psychology to repeat my question:

Is 4-Star General Tommy Franks, former CENTCOM commander who led the invasion of Afghanistan AND Iraq and is arguably one of the most influential and controversial generals in the 21st century so far, weak since he follows a nightly “affirmation” regimen of identifying opportunities and challenges of the next day every evening before he goes to bed?

That’s nice of you not to discuss Maslow’s hierarchy, but why did you feel the need to mention it at all? Are you trying to sound smarter? I majored in English with a minor in Psych/Philosophy, but I don’t name drop theories and writers I admire.

You found one guy who apparently uses these affirmations. I can probably find many more successfully people who don’t.

 

[Equites_Christi]

Rascalking, is success achieved by positive affirmation somehow less valid than success achieved by other means?

 

[Newbie2]

hulu.com/watch/272735/saturday-night-live-daily-affirmation

I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggonit, people like me.

But seriously, some people benefit from affirmations. Some don’t. Whatever works.

 

[Rascalking]

Rascalking, is success achieved by positive affirmation somehow less valid than success achieved by other means?

Of course not, if you feel the need to mumble to yourself “I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful” be my guest.

Those mantras aren’t immoral, they are just silly.

 

[Newbie2]

Of course not, if you feel the need to mumble to yourself “I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful” be my guest.

Those mantras aren’t immoral, they are just silly.

Silly for you, perhaps, but some people benefit psycologically from such affirmations. Even if it is some sort of “placebo effect”, why diss what seems to work for certain people?

 

[Rascalking]

Silly for you, perhaps, but some people benefit psycologically from such affirmations. Even if it is some sort of “placebo effect”, why diss what seems to work for certain people?

Because someone asked for opinions of them. Perhaps the OP-and everybody else, should have said, “I only want people who agree with me.”

 

[Newbie2]

Because someone asked for opinions of them. Perhaps the OP-and everybody else, should have said, “I only want people who agree with me.”

Doesn’t answer my question, but that’s your call.

The question begging to be answered, then, is do such affirmations really help people? Apparently the answer is yes, at least for some. And for those “some”, I’m curious as to if you think they should continue with doing something i.e. affirmations, even though you consider them silly, if they seem to be helping themselves.

 

[Rascalking]

Doesn’t answer my question, but that’s your call.

The question begging to be answered, then, is do such affirmations really help people? Apparently the answer is yes, at least for some. And for those “some”, I’m curious as to if you think they should continue with doing something i.e. affirmations, even though you consider them silly, if they seem to be helping themselves.

I already answered that question. Do whatever you want.

I’ll “diss” it because I don’t think it works in the long wrong. It’s trendy, so people will do it now. Maybe in ten years they’ll think of something else to do.

 

[LilyM]

Of course not, if you feel the need to mumble to yourself “I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful” be my guest.

Those mantras aren’t immoral, they are just silly.

You know how many people would say the same thing about your mumbling to yourself ‘Our Father who art in heaven …’ or ‘Hail Mary full of grace …’ or whatever other prayers you pray?

So I suppose that means your practices are equally not immoral, just silly?