Where does The Secret get it right?

As I said last time, when I read something I look for things I can affirm, things I need to challenge, and things I need to research more.

I found surprisingly little in The Secret that I could affirm, but I did find a bit.

First of all, there is an emphasis on the importance of gratitude. I've often suggested that we cancel Christmas every second year and just focus on Thanksgiving because gratitude is one of the world's great needs. Some overly religious, sentimental types wail and gnash their teeth at the suggestion, but I think we might be better off for it, though every two years there would be a rash of retail stores going out of business.

Anyway, gratitude is presented as the most important part of The Secret. It says “love and gratitude can dissolve any disease.” Well, I don’t know about "any disease," but there is strong evidence that gratitude strengthens us physically, much like humour.

There are a couple glitches in the teaching on gratitude in The Secret: It’s not really clear who you are supposed to be grateful to. Everything is supposedly the result of your thoughts. So if things are good, well then, you are the one you should be grateful to. Kinda arrogant. Unless of course you really are God.