There is an ongoing trend in personal development that seems to ignore the consequences of reality and instead focus on wishful-thinking and excessive optimism. Although I am certainly not the first to criticize works like “What The Bleep Do We Know?,” “The Secret,” or “The Law of Attraction” – I believe there is real damage being done by fostering these unhealthy beliefs, and people who know better have a duty to dispel these myths.
I hate to sound a bit cynical this morning, but there have been some ongoing trends within the personal development community that really rub me the wrong way.
“Personal Development” suffers enough negative connotations as it is, and it only exacerbates the problem when other so-called “experts” and “gurus” continue to spread dangerous lies and superstitions.
The main culprit: The observer effect.
In essence, “documentaries” like What The Bleep Do We Know? have described the observer effect (in quantum physics) as evidence that our minds are the sole creators of reality.
Now, I’m no physicist (and neither are most of the people in the personal development community who cite this research), but the observer effect basically describes how we can’t observe an electron without changing it’s behavior.
However, it has nothing to do with consciousness.
What The Bleep Do We Know? claims this is an effect of consciousness on reality, but this isn’t how most physicists explain it. In fact, the reason an electron is difficult to observe is because it needs to interact with a photon in order for it to be detected. A photon is nothing more than a particle of light, and light is necessary in order to detect the positioning of an electron. It has nothing to do with consciousness in-and-of-itself.
According to Wikipedia:
-
“Physicists like David Albert, who appear in the film, have accused the filmmakers of selectively editing his interview to make it appear that he endorses the film’s thesis that quantum mechanics is linked with consciousness.”
And as if that wasn’t disingenuous enough, other personal development “experts” have taken this documentary and have wrongly applied it to their own beliefs. Followers of The Secret and The Law of Attraction have taken this misinterpreted evidence to suggest that our minds are all-powerful creators of the reality.
They believe if we can imagine it, and we can desire it, then we can achieve it. Period. Nothing can stand in our way but our own minds.
The real danger of these beliefs.
When people fully adhere to the teachings of something like The Secret, they often fail to acknowledge the realities that exist outside of their minds.
James Arthur Ray, a popular affiliate of The Secret and The Law of Attraction, had a “Spiritual Warrior” retreat in 2009. He had the participants go through very physically demanding tasks such as fasting for over 36 hours and then cramming the 60 participants into a sweat lodge.
Although participants had a big breakfast before the sweat lodge, one site owner reported that participants had went 2 days without water leading up to the event. The goal was to go on a “vision quest” that would teach participants to overcome their fear of death.
The results were much worse.
Ray truly believed that the power of thought and intention would be strong enough to overcome these physical obstacles. So long as he pushed the possibility of anyone getting hurt out of his mind, it would come true. He was wrong.
Instead, two participants died before the exercise was over. Another 18 were hospitalized due to various burns, breathing problems, and dehydration. Another participant died after being comatose for a week due to the event.
Ray was finally convicted earlier this year for 3 cases of neglected homicide.
An alternative approach to personal development – acknowledging reality.
Listen. I’m a big advocate of taking responsibility for your life. But I also acknowledge that sometimes bad things happen to good people for no good reason. This is because our mind – however positive our thoughts and noble our intentions – is not the only thing that exists in this world.
Instead, there is a whole other reality that exists outside of our minds that affects our lives. And sometimes that reality can be incredibly cruel, harsh, and impersonal.
It’s important to acknowledge this reality for several reasons:
-
1. We don’t have to blame ourselves for everything bad that happens in our lives.
2. By accepting these other facets of reality, we can better respond to them.
I know this isn’t the most positive and optimistic thing you want to hear – but it’s true. And accepting reality is more beneficial in the long-term than ignoring it.
I truly believe that. I’ve been hurt by wishful thinking before, and I’ve become happier and better off once I dimmed my optimism and became a little more practical.
Personal development fueled by science, reason, and honest self-analysis.
I think if the term “personal development” is going to restore any of the integrity it once had, then individuals within the community need to make an earnest effort to distinguish truth from fiction. And there are resources and tools out there to help us do this (that is one of the primary reasons I write on this blog).
To start, paying attention to scientific research in psychology and neuroscience is a good way to stay privy to many of the biases and imperfections that riddle our minds (and there are a lot of them, believe me).
I’ve written before about some of these biases and how they can negatively influence our thoughts and decision-making – these are the kinds of findings we should try to be more mindful of (not pseudo-scientific bastardizations of quantum mechanics).
If you have a choice, I say go with psychotherapies that are supported by scientific research over psychotherapies that depend more on hearsay and anecdotal evidence. Modern therapeutic techniques like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Meditation, and Positive Psychology all have positive track-records in being able to treat various mental ailments. Look into these therapies before seeking alternatives (in fact, a lot of alternative therapies that get recognition today – like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and acupuncture – can usually be attributed to the placebo effect).
But, above all else, the most important thing is that we remain honest with ourselves. Life isn’t always pleasant or forgiving, but trying to ignore these aspects of reality won’t make them go away. Sometimes we have to grit our teeth and bear it – because the more we ignore it, the harder reality is going to bite back in the end.
Taking a more pragmatic and modest approach to personal development (one fueled by science, reason, and honest self-analysis) is a trend I would like to see more of in the future.
Questions
- Have you ever seen What The Bleep Do We Know? or read The Secret or The Law of Attraction?
- How did these affect your personal development – was it negative or positive? (try to be specific)
- What do you think about more scientifically-backed approaches to personal development (like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Meditation, and Positive Psychology)?
- What are some trends in personal development that worry you?
Be sure to answer these in the comment section below!
Stay updated on new articles on psychology and self-improvement here.
July 27th, 2011
A good resource is http://www.rickross.com/ I have seen people taken in by the strange ideas of a few mentioned on his site. I was extremely negatively affected just by reading a few of Byron Katie's books. My mantra now is "question everything"
July 27th, 2011
Oh man, I thought that was THE Rick Ross – I was disappointed !
At a young age I remember hearing the mantra "Think For Yourself. Question Authority." – definitely made a huge impact on me.
July 27th, 2011
Hello Steven,
Yes, the wonderful sounding ideas expressed in "The Secret" and other motivational books of that type are lovely to believe. I've read sooooo many of those type of books. (I'm a professional speaker and author so it's part of my job–like yours.) There is some science behind them–but not enough to let it determine most of your actions and thoughts. Anyway, there is a cool book by a Physicist about the Law of Attraction that I thoroughly enjoyed because the man is a physicist, and a successful science fiction writer, and a marathoner and etc. etc. The book "The Science Behind the Secret" by Travis S. Taylor PHD (He has more that one PHD and a Masters and I think a Bachelor or two. Oh yea, he plays the guitar and has a family and is funny. I hate him! Travis makes some interesting points about the law of attraction. It's worth the read.
Enjoy your posts Richard Hawk
July 27th, 2011
I can't find the book on Amazon or Google. And according his Wikipedia, Taylor is primarily a science fiction writer. He has a PhD in Optical Science and Engineering, though I'm not sure if that qualifies him to be an authority on quantum mechanics.
The best science I can think of behind "The Law of Attraction" is the The Law of Reciprocity in Social Psychology, but that's a bit of a stretch.
Don't get me wrong – I think that our thoughts, intentions, and the "vibe" we give off to people is important. It's just not as powerful as LoA and The Secret like to make it out to be.
Thanks for the comment!
July 27th, 2011
I like this post. Envisioning an outcome, setting a goal, working towards it, staying positive, praying for it – all these have an effect and are different from magical thinking, superstition, and unsupported belief in our power to achieve the outcome just by wishing for it. Thanks for bringing some sense to this dialogue.
My recent post Science and Art
July 27th, 2011
Yes, "working" being a key word here. We have to translate our thoughts and ideas into real-world ACTION.
Thanks for the thoughts Tom.
July 27th, 2011
Provocative post, Steven. I think what The Secret and What the Bleep have to teach us is that to some (fairly large) extent, we do create our own reality. And that is huge. But what the postive thinking movement leaves out is: 1) as you point out, we are not the sole creators of our reality; 2) thinking creates reality only to the extent that it influences our ACTIONS; 3) ignoring "what is" – or what others think "is" – limits our ability to respond and therefore influence what is. So to really impact our environment and our own experience, we need to remain conscious and choose our responses moment by moment.
My recent post Retreat from Procrastination
July 27th, 2011
I agree that we have some control over our reality. And I agree that by being more conscious we can gain greater power over our lives and our everyday experiences. The thing is – this is taught by A LOT of different schools and philosophies (for example, Buddhism, Stoicism, Cognitive Therapy, etc.), so why get it from a deliberately exaggerated book like The Secret or What The Bleep? (which takes this idea to a very unhealthy extreme, not to mention is an incredibly commercialized movement).
Just my thoughts. Thanks for stopping by!
July 27th, 2011
I am a big fan of reality and agree with your post. As Carl Sagan said, “It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” That's why I am also a fan of Albert Ellis and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: there's no point denying that some people will dislike you, that racism, sexism or other impediments to us personally do exist and will affect us, but neither should these understandings that structural and real problems do exist in the world render us immobbile. I can see how those self-help books you mention try to counter that helplessness some people might feel, but in doing so become equally unrealistic as fatalism! Good write.
July 28th, 2011
Excellent comments and excellent quote. I am definitely a big fan of both Carl Sagan and Albert Ellis. And you're absolutely right- reality is pretty f-ing awesome!
July 27th, 2011
The "Observer Effect" originates as a folk-"explanation" of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. But, while it seems reasonable, it is not only facile, but there may even be recent experimental evidence that actually falsifies it. The experiments are complex in the way they associate knowledge and observation. And the meaning of the experimental results is somewhat controversial. Some theoreticians claim the results imply violations of the usual notions of Causality in Time. (See ?weak measurement?). This corner of physics is under evolution.
July 28th, 2011
Yeah, true, "if you think you understand quantum mechanics, you probably don't understand quantum mechanics."
I say we leave it to the physicists, not the personal development salesmen.
July 27th, 2011
Thanks for such a helpful article. In its better forms, positive psychology is not superficial “positive thinking” or fluffy affirmations, which are often touted as a strategy for 'personal growth.' As science writer Ed Yong explains, using positive mantras like ‘I am a strong, powerful person’ is a "particular brand of self-help may backfire badly." From my post Deal with your negative thinking, but be careful with affirmations http://talentdevelop.com/1377/
My recent post Incubating Innovation and Creativity
July 28th, 2011
Oh, you're absolutely right. Positive Psychology has very little to do with the "positive thinking" movement, or The Secret, or the Law of Attraction. Positive Psychology is actually a branch of science (led by psychologists and researchers like Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi).
Thanks for stopping by Douglas!
July 28th, 2011
This is a big part of why I do what I do, anger about the harm some of these things can cause (have caused, to myself and others) and a desire to provide a more conscientious and caring personal growth alternative.
When I first heard about "The Secret", my response to it was "So, you're telling me that all the starving people in Africa caused it with their thoughts? That's ridiculous." and ignored it.
However, a few years ago, because I had had a string of unhelpful therapists I thought the answer would be to turn to self-help and personal growth, and because that theme (Law of Attraction) became SO ubiquitous in that field I couldn't help but be exposed to it.
(continued)
My recent post Whose “success language” are you using?
July 28th, 2011
>"When I first heard about "The Secret", my response to it was "So, you're telling me that all the starving people in Africa caused it with their thoughts? That's ridiculous." and ignored it."
Great example. Just like I said: "Sometimes bad things happen to good people for no good reason." The Secret-type thinking can actually cause a lot of unnecessary guilt and shame.
>"However, a few years ago, because I had had a string of unhelpful therapists I thought the answer would be to turn to self-help and personal growth, and because that theme (Law of Attraction) became SO ubiquitous in that field I couldn't help but be exposed to it."
That's really sad. Hopefully the field is beginning to clean itself up now.
July 28th, 2011
I have even heard people saying that they chose to be raped, or sexually abused as a child (or "it must have been an opportunity your soul wanted to have to learn" or something like that). Finding healing and meaning after those kinds of traumas must be difficult enough let alone somebody telling you you caused it or chose it.
I believe (heh) that the Secret is sort of a way of deluding yourself into thinking you have control and certainty, in a scary and uncertain world. (maybe that is why it was so popular at the time it was?!) The flip side, of course, is that although you can take total credit for "manifesting" that new job or parking spot, what about if something bad happens? That's all on you, too.
My recent post Unsolicited Advice
July 28th, 2011
>"I believe (heh) that the Secret is sort of a way of deluding yourself into thinking you have control and certainty, in a scary and uncertain world. (maybe that is why it was so popular at the time it was?!)"
Yes, uncertainty and a lack-of-control are probably huge reasons people turn to ideologies like The Secret.
>"The flip side, of course, is that although you can take total credit for "manifesting" that new job or parking spot, what about if something bad happens? That's all on you, too. "
True. And certainly, sometimes we are responsible for bad and good thing that happen in our life. But not everything. We have to distinguish between our personal responsibility and what is determined by chance and other outside factors.
July 28th, 2011
I have to say the net effect of LOA thinking on me was negative, because I was really looking for empathy and instead got told that "you are creating it with your thoughts". Because then you can't win, can you? It's never good enough, is it? Then another hurtful or distressing thing happens and you're back to the drawing board, because if that's happening then your thoughts must still not be pure enough. I'm getting tired even thinking about it!!
I don't completely agree with your recommendations for types of therapy; if they work for you then that's great, but my experience was that I needed somebody empathic (who would know what I was feeling, tell me that I'm an OK human being even though I'm feeling it, and compassionately de-brief some of the trauma I had and tell me that what happened was not right and it wasn't my fault) before I started to get any benefit out of therapy.
My recent post Unsolicited Advice
July 28th, 2011
Oh, excellent points about empathy. I consider that a very necessary ingredient to the therapeutic process, although not a therapy in-itself. Empathy must be used to get the most out of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Positive Psychology, or any therapeutic technique.
Actually, what you explain sounds a lot like Carl Roger's "unconditional positive regard." Carl Rogers, and other humanistic psychologists, are a HUGE influence on Positive Psychology, so I definitely consider that a part of the therapies I'm talking about.
Thanks for all the comments!
July 28th, 2011
Great article. We need realistic positive thinking, which means having a optimistic attitude that you can succeed, which gives you the motivation to work hard and let failures be a learning opportunity rather than an excuse to give up. On the opposite extreme I've seen those who are very negative and claim they are just realistic, however I rarely see those types come up with solutions to problems, rather they want to point out how bad things are or blame others. There is great danger in thinking that some mystical process will bring you success simply because you imagine it to be. What your imagination really does is bring you the creativity and drive that helps you success when others may not.
July 28th, 2011
Exactly Steve – that is the kind of positive thinking I can get behind. You can still be optimistic while, at the same time accepting realities and believing you can overcome obstacles through hard work.
>"There is great danger in thinking that some mystical process will bring you success simply because you imagine it to be."
Definitely.
Thanks for sharing!
July 28th, 2011
I agree with the thrust of your argument.
However as to psychotherapies. There is no evidence that CBT works better than other therapies. The claim that is usually made is that "CBT has been shown to work for [X condition]". This can lead people to conclude that other therapies haven't been shown to work for [X condition]. But this isn't the claim. Whether putting the claim in this way amounts to being intentionally misleading I wouldn't like to say.
The best research I think shows that what matters in therapy is not the school but the relationship with the therapist.
There is problems to with the scientific method applied to researching therapies. Most research isn't able to cope with the complexity of the phenomenon. Here's an anecdote to illustrate. My friend wasn't sleeping well, and it meant he had a pretty unsatisfactory life – tired all the time and so on. So he went to a program for insomnia. This meant staying awake until you fell asleep, no cat naps, at all. This worked – it lead to him sleeping at night. This would be chalked up as a success in the research literature. He stopped the program because he was tired and sleepy during the day – in short he hadn't got what he wanted: improved quality of life. This kind of thing doesn't easily fit in research studies. The kind of research usually engaged in is quite crass when compared with the complexity of person's lives. It is also misleadingly reported by the media Eg. [X therapy] has been shown to work for. This can be misleading. What is actually the case is that: [X therapy] has been shown to work for a percentage of people to a particular level of significance. Or, put another way [X therapy] has not been shown to work for . . .
The usual kinds of studies don't work with the complexity of people's lives. The most graphic example of this over the last few decades I think has been diet. There haven't really been any studies that control for the huge number of variables that would be needed. And so we are back basically to 'do what grandma said' – eat your greens, don't overeat, don't eat too much sugar or fat. This realm of complexity is to do with pattern recognition more than controllable variables. My point is that the 'anecdotal' is actually richer than the rigorous scientific method allows. I would prefer to call it the 'clinical' or real life.
The application of the studies in peoples' lives means that the research is eventually validated in peoples' experience ie. in the anecdotal. I know this is a long comment but I think these matters are enormously important.
My recent post Speaking Our Truth and Caring About Others Part 4 of 4
July 28th, 2011
>"There is no evidence that CBT works better than other therapies."
It does for a lot of conditions: anxiety, depression, OCD, etc. At the very least, it's one of the most scientifically backed therapies on the market right now. Which other therapies do you know of that have as much scientific support?
>"The claim that is usually made is that "CBT has been shown to work for [X condition]". This can lead people to conclude that other therapies haven't been shown to work for [X condition]. But this isn't the claim. Whether putting the claim in this way amounts to being intentionally misleading I wouldn't like to say."
Hm, I can't control what other people think, but I don't believe there is only 1 answer for every problem. So when I say "CBT is effective for X" I in no way mean to imply that it's the only way.
>"The usual kinds of studies don't work with the complexity of people's lives. The most graphic example of this over the last few decades I think has been diet. There haven't really been any studies that control for the huge number of variables that would be needed. And so we are back basically to 'do what grandma said' – eat your greens, don't overeat, don't eat too much sugar or fat. This realm of complexity is to do with pattern recognition more than controllable variables. My point is that the 'anecdotal' is actually richer than the rigorous scientific method allows. I would prefer to call it the 'clinical' or real life. "
I do think these are really important points. Like you, I do take anecdotal evidence to have more validity than most scientists would probably admit. I think "the pattern recognition" vs. "controlled variables" distinction is spot-on.
But I also think the principles of CBT are very widely applicable. And when I say "CBT" I refer to a wide range of different schools and philosophies, dating all the way back to Stoicism and Buddhism all the way up to the cognitive therapies in the 60s, NLP, DBT, etc. The beauty of cognitive-behavioral type therapies is that they CAN be catered to each individual differently.
Really important points though, definitely worth mentioning.
July 28th, 2011
Re therapeutic effectiveness http://www.shrinkrapradio.com/2010/05/07/236-the-… a podcast http://www.shrinkrapradio.com/236.pdf for the transcript
On CBT in particular http://search.abc.net.au/search/search.cgi?form=h… This is a program on the Australian equivalent of the US NPR
My recent post Speaking Our Truth and Caring About Others Part 4 of 4
July 29th, 2011
Thanks Evan. First one on PsychoDynamic therapy looks really interesting.
July 28th, 2011
Oh I've been using law of attraction all these time…and it works so well..enjoyed every bit of life ever since I learned it…
My recent post An unorganized mind feels unhealthy
July 29th, 2011
Jaky, be careful. It can sometimes give you a temporary high, but this stuff can be dangerous if you get addicted. As I've written about before, sometimes its healthy to give yourself "permission to be negative."
July 29th, 2011
I did read the LOA and payed a lot of money for some telephone course. I so much wanted this to be true- in the end I feel that my wish attracted all the money to the person who invented it. I feel cheated and somehow robbt.
Some time ago I learnd MBSR and I have to say that it realy helps me, it is something that I can make part of my own everyday life. And it is not so much on geeting money, health… but about making the life I have work for me.
July 29th, 2011
Aw Heidi, that sucks! But if it makes you feel any better, I too have fallen for snake oil products in the past. Oops!
Nice move switching over to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). That's a really well-supported practice, and Jon-Kabat Zinn (in particular) is a huge influence of mine!
Stay well.
August 1st, 2011
Hi Steve
This is really an eye opening post. I have really bought into the concepts of "The Secret" and "Law of Attraction" I dont take to the level of fasting for days to overcome the fear of death but some of the concepts have helped improve my thinking and life as well. You just have to use common sense as with anything.
A.D @Pimple Scars</> solutions
August 2nd, 2011
All I can say is that, are you dedicated to your own personal growth, to finding and living your authentic nature and expressing your life purpose? Well, personal and spiritual growth is absolutely a life-long journey.
My recent post What is your life purpose?
August 9th, 2011
I have read a lot of LOA stuff and think that it can be beneficial as long as you don't develop the belief that all you have to do is sit around waiting for something to happen. I think positive thinking is powerful (we know all the research about positive outcomes for optimists relative to their more pessimistic peers), but you do actually have to go out and DO something. I mean, no one could possibly expect to meet the man of her dreams, for example, if she just sits around meditating and thinking affirmations all day. Still, if she sees every instance as an opportunity to learn, and believes in a positive outcome, she is likely to be a lot more persistent in her efforts to find prince charming. I think it helps people to be more open to possibilities and to spin what happens to them in a positive light.
August 27th, 2011
I stumbled on this article and looked around the website a bit because of my current interest in "personal development", as it is now becoming known. But I have to say that I found this article pretty conservative, and feel a sllight affinity with the wackos, despite their obvious limitations. What do I think about about new scientific approaches? I think great, a progressive step forward in the right hands. But if you think you will learn anything really personally emancipatory through this then you are delusional. But that is the point of this article, it is telling us that we should resign ourselves, embrace timid and cowardly stoicism, not do anything dangerous, or anything risky and untested. If "personal development" was left to psychology graduates it would end up as some awful "respectable" annex to the medical field, whose role is to make people cope better with being treated like crap, and generally living in a society based on inequality and exploitation. It will be all of those degrading workplace therapy programs that tell us to give up on any feelings of transcendence or emotional depth, and to have nice workable career goals in corporations that suck away our life one powerpoint presentation at a time. That sounds pretty political, but I am political, and biased, really, really biased. I do import and my politics and idealistic philosophy into every part of life, and I am glad that other people do the same, crapping all over this neat, clean, 'therapeutic' field by doing the same here. I refuse to "adjust" myself, or give up on my optimism, and I will continue the process of personal transformation even if it makes me feel worse, mad, or totally maladjusted, or even if it kills me. But somehow I don't think that spirit really fits in with the tone of this blog.
August 27th, 2011
>"But that is the point of this article, it is telling us that we should resign ourselves, embrace timid and cowardly stoicism, not do anything dangerous, or anything risky and untested. "
I never said that. I'm saying it's important to be pragmatic and reasonable (and not get too carried away by "wishful thinking" which can often become delusional – like in the examples I shared).
But none of that means we can't have faith in ourselves or take risks. Far from it – I talk about those things CONSTANTLY on this blog. Faith and risk-taking have to be balanced though. 100% faith in the wrong idea is an incredibly dangerous thing. Not being afraid to doubt yourself can sometimes be an important part of the learning process.
Also, saying you refuse to adjust yourself during a process of personal transformation is inherently contradictory.
Sorry if my article struck a strong chord with you, I tend to do that from both science-types and anti-science types. Probably because I think science is a very useful piece of the personal development puzzle, but (like you) I don't think it is enough for complete personal transformation.
Thanks for the thoughts. I think you'd fit in with the content of this blog probably more than you think. I really appreciate your passion, even if we obviously disagree on some things.
October 6th, 2011
Steven —
"I’ve been hurt by wishful thinking before, and I’ve become happier and better off once I dimmed my optimism and became a little more practical."
I understand the benefits of being optimistic and practical, but how do exactly balance the two — especially when everyone around you offers up advice that you need to look on the bright side of every given situation?
Thanks
October 21st, 2011
Hi,
I discovered this concept accidentally when in a very low point in my life, tried some visualisation techniques recommended by Anthony Robbins. Something along the lines of picturing yourself if you didn't face and overcome your fears.
The result was disastrous. The negative imagery burned into my head. When faces with adversity and not following through with the actions required to overcome the fears, my sense of self worth dropped to an all time low based on evidence that didn't exist. Evidence that I had manufactured during the visualisation sessions done previously.
I have now adopted a completely different model based on cognitive therapy techniques that has done wonders.
I no longer suffer the social fear I once did. I am more outgoing, less judgmental of myself and as a result meet new people often. I have a life that I never knew could exist. I also went from never getting laid, spending my weekends alone all the way into adult life into finding myself frequently in the arms of amazing women in the past year.
The advice from Anthony Robbins did absolutely nothing to help me achieve this. People pay good money for material that is not only ineffective, but can be downright damaging.