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The Secret

 The Secret
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 TVTItem
 The Secret
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 The Secret
 The Secret
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 TheSecret
 The Secret
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 Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })The Secret is a self-help book by Australian TV producer Rhonda Byrne that claims to be able to teach you how to get everything you ever wanted (yes, everything! Even that!) by simply keeping a positive attitude and performing some simple exercises such as meditation, visualization (basically, using your imagination), and writing about what you want. In the book, the eponymous secret is the "Law of Attraction," which states that a positive outlook on life and positive thoughts will attract positive things into your life, whereas negative thoughts will do just the opposite. A big part of this is daydreaming about the things you want and believing they're already yours.There's also some Technobabble regarding Einstein, string theory, and quantum mechanics. Also, there are a lot of personal anecdotes from a bunch of people.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Optical engineer and sci fi author Travis S. Taylor recently put out a book titled The Science Behind The Secret attempting to support The Secret with appeals to authority, noting a long history of similar beliefs, and a terribly butchered reading of quantum physics.If The Secret actually works as intended (which it might, at least in the sense that being positive will make you more productive), then it's a real-life Magic Feather. If not, it's just a multi-million dollar franchise which teaches bad values.
 The Secret
fetched
 2022-08-15T07:42:42Z
 The Secret
parsed
 2022-08-15T07:42:42Z
 The Secret
isPartOf
 DBTropes
 The Secret / int_3356ed55
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 I Wish It Were Real
 The Secret / int_3356ed55
comment
 I Wish It Were Real: It contends that doing so will actually make a desired object real.
 The Secret / int_3356ed55
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 1.0
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 1.0
 The Secret
hasFeature
 The Secret / int_3356ed55
 The Secret / int_3ac583f4
type
 SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism
 The Secret / int_3ac583f4
comment
 Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism: Obviously, it lies on the "idealism" end of the scale. At least theoretically. A cynical person could speculate that the author is in fact a deeply cynical individual who wants to make money off of gullible people.
 The Secret / int_3ac583f4
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 1.0
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 1.0
 The Secret
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 The Secret / int_3ac583f4
 The Secret / int_435925b3
type
 Good Fortune from God
 The Secret / int_435925b3
comment
 Good Fortune from God: Perhaps the best-known non-theistic example.
 The Secret / int_435925b3
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 1.0
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 The Secret
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 The Secret / int_473252e7
type
 QuoteMining
 The Secret / int_473252e7
comment
 Quote Mining: This is used to make it seem as if famous people from the past used "the secret."
 The Secret / int_473252e7
featureApplicability
 1.0
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 1.0
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 The Secret / int_56515a39
type
 Artistic License – History
 The Secret / int_56515a39
comment
 Artistic License – History: No copy of the Emerald Tablet other than this book has ever featured the phrase "As within, so without" after "as above, so below". Furthermore, there is no evidence that it predates the Abbasid Caliphate from around the 8th century.
 The Secret / int_56515a39
featureApplicability
 1.0
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 1.0
 The Secret
hasFeature
 The Secret / int_56515a39
 The Secret / int_8c30c2ac
type
 Rewriting Reality
 The Secret / int_8c30c2ac
comment
 Rewriting Reality: This is effectively what the book claims you can do by wishing hard enough. A cynical observer could comment that the trope name is also an accurate description of the book's Artistic License – History, Quantum Mechanics Can Do Anything, and Quote Mining.
 The Secret / int_8c30c2ac
featureApplicability
 1.0
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 1.0
 The Secret
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 The Secret / int_ec7da60a
type
 Beethoven Was an Alien Spy
 The Secret / int_ec7da60a
comment
 Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Several historical figures, such as Napoleon, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein, are mentioned to have studied up on the Law of Attraction and mentioned it in their writings (along with some more modern, albeit obscure, names who contributed to the book), "shown" by quote mining their work.
 The Secret / int_ec7da60a
featureApplicability
 1.0
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 1.0
 The Secret
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 The Secret / int_ec7da60a
 The Secret / int_feb72f62
type
 Literal Genie
 The Secret / int_feb72f62
comment
 Literal Genie: A metaphor describes the universe as a genie that will consistently give you whatever you think about the most in your life, be it positive or negative. Although for some bizarre reason, it will give you the negative stuff if you so much as give it a passing thought, but you have to concentrate to get the good stuff.
 The Secret / int_feb72f62
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 1.0
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 1.0
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 The Secret / int_name
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 ItemName
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 1.0
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 The Secret / int_name
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 The Secret

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Secret
hasFeature
 Clap Your Hands If You Believe / int_2209cb14
 The Secret
hasFeature
 Daydream Believer / int_2209cb14
 The Secret
hasFeature
 Glurge / int_2209cb14
 The Secret
hasFeature
 Good Fortune from God / int_2209cb14
 The Secret
hasFeature
 Quantum Mechanics Can Do Anything / int_2209cb14