Comments on: Review of Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina/ Empower. Challenge. Advance. Tue, 15 May 2012 12:19:19 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Nancy Wylde http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina/comment-page-1/#comment-20633 Nancy Wylde Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:40:26 +0000 http://rickyspears.com/blog/?p=279#comment-20633 The idea that we are the god of our own lives, in fact it takes a great deal of courage to share with others how you view God, religions etc. I agree with Steve, and this comes from my own intuitive perceptions and experiences. This is something I have discussed to some degree in my book which is mostly based on personal development as well. The idea that we are the god of our own lives, in fact it takes a great deal of courage to share with others how you view God, religions etc.
I agree with Steve, and this comes from my own intuitive perceptions and experiences. This is something I have discussed to some degree in my book which is mostly based on personal development as well.

]]> By: 50+ More Book Reviews http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina/comment-page-1/#comment-20631 50+ More Book Reviews Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:12:52 +0000 http://rickyspears.com/blog/?p=279#comment-20631 [...] http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina... [...] [...] http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina... [...]

]]> By: rickyspears http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina/comment-page-1/#comment-20602 rickyspears Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:54:56 +0000 http://rickyspears.com/blog/?p=279#comment-20602 Reinout - I remember very well the article you are talking about. It caught me off guard too. It seemed to me that Steve was attacking organized religion of all sorts and not just Christianity. Steve also believes that each of us is the god of our own lives, so he is opposed to anything that is contrary to that. He believes that relegating power to another, whether God or another person, weakens you in some way, rather than seeing that we only have our fullest power when we are in one accord with our Creator. Steve has had some very bad experiences with "religious" people--by that I mean those who see Christianity as a system of dos and don'ts instead of a vibrant relationship with Jesus. I believe many have perverted Christianity into a religion instead of a relationship though and it has hurt many people's overall perception of Christ. People like Steve who have been hurt in this manner are difficult to reach with the truth. I can't reach them and share the benefits of a relationship with Christ if I alienate myself from them, however. I do believe that Steve has some good things to say even though I don't agree 100% on everything he has to say. Just as I have indicated in my review, Steve is much closer to true Christianity than he realizes in many of his beliefs. In reference to that particular article, I keep in mind Jesus' own prayer as He was being crucified: "Father forgive them for they know now what they do." Reinout – I remember very well the article you are talking about. It caught me off guard too. It seemed to me that Steve was attacking organized religion of all sorts and not just Christianity. Steve also believes that each of us is the god of our own lives, so he is opposed to anything that is contrary to that. He believes that relegating power to another, whether God or another person, weakens you in some way, rather than seeing that we only have our fullest power when we are in one accord with our Creator.

Steve has had some very bad experiences with “religious” people–by that I mean those who see Christianity as a system of dos and don’ts instead of a vibrant relationship with Jesus. I believe many have perverted Christianity into a religion instead of a relationship though and it has hurt many people’s overall perception of Christ. People like Steve who have been hurt in this manner are difficult to reach with the truth. I can’t reach them and share the benefits of a relationship with Christ if I alienate myself from them, however.

I do believe that Steve has some good things to say even though I don’t agree 100% on everything he has to say. Just as I have indicated in my review, Steve is much closer to true Christianity than he realizes in many of his beliefs. In reference to that particular article, I keep in mind Jesus’ own prayer as He was being crucified: “Father forgive them for they know now what they do.”

]]> By: Reinout van Rees http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina/comment-page-1/#comment-20598 Reinout van Rees Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:41:57 +0000 http://rickyspears.com/blog/?p=279#comment-20598 I found Steve's dexterity software articles before he started his current blog and so I've read his blog from day one. Till a few months ago. Nothing wrong with what he writes. About 60% is very useful and thought-provoking, the other 40% is easily ignored. Till a few months ago. Then he posted an article that was so unbelievably rude, vitriolic and sickening. He totally rejected the christian faith whole-scale. No "ifs" and "buts" and exceptions. Each and every christian was held accountable to every wrong thing about it that he could find. I spend two hours reading the comments on that article, trying to find some nuance. Or some "I didn't mean to say x or y". Or at least a decent explanation. I did find others wondering about the uncharacteristically hateful article, making clear that they took it badly. And the only thing I found from Steve in reply boiled down to "get a grip, you'll just have to accept reality", "I totally mean it" and, strangly, something like "It isn't even necessarily my opinion even though I wrote it and it is on my personal blog". I can take quite a lot of damage and vitriol. But the next day I unsubscribed from his blog and deleted any reference I could find from my own websites (I pointed at his articles in some blog entries, pretty sure I still missed some). And that's something I haven't done before. So perhaps you have some additional insight to offer or some extra background information that'd make me reconsider. Assuming you know which article I'm referring to :-) Reinout I found Steve’s dexterity software articles before he started his current blog and so I’ve read his blog from day one. Till a few months ago. Nothing wrong with what he writes. About 60% is very useful and thought-provoking, the other 40% is easily ignored.

Till a few months ago. Then he posted an article that was so unbelievably rude, vitriolic and sickening. He totally rejected the christian faith whole-scale. No “ifs” and “buts” and exceptions. Each and every christian was held accountable to every wrong thing about it that he could find.

I spend two hours reading the comments on that article, trying to find some nuance. Or some “I didn’t mean to say x or y”. Or at least a decent explanation. I did find others wondering about the uncharacteristically hateful article, making clear that they took it badly.

And the only thing I found from Steve in reply boiled down to “get a grip, you’ll just have to accept reality”, “I totally mean it” and, strangly, something like “It isn’t even necessarily my opinion even though I wrote it and it is on my personal blog”.

I can take quite a lot of damage and vitriol. But the next day I unsubscribed from his blog and deleted any reference I could find from my own websites (I pointed at his articles in some blog entries, pretty sure I still missed some). And that’s something I haven’t done before.

So perhaps you have some additional insight to offer or some extra background information that’d make me reconsider. Assuming you know which article I’m referring to :-)

Reinout

]]> By: Usiku http://rickyspears.com/blog/2008/10/review-of-personal-development-for-smart-people-by-steve-pavlina/comment-page-1/#comment-20597 Usiku Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:00:47 +0000 http://rickyspears.com/blog/?p=279#comment-20597 I like books that encourage us to be better than we are. I've tried to do the same by using poems and poetry to help us lead more meaninful, satisfying lives. I like books that encourage us to be better than we are. I’ve tried to do the same by using poems and poetry to help us lead more meaninful, satisfying lives.

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