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== Orang-orang yang memuji Dr. Peale ==
Pdt. [[Billy Graham]] berkata di [[Dewan Gereja-gereja Nasional]] pada 12 Juni 1966 bahwa "Saya berpendapat tak ada orang yang telah melakukan lebih banyak bagi kerajaan Allah daripada Norman dan Ruth Peale atau yang telah lebih berarti dalam hidup saya karena dorongan yang telah mereka berikan kepada saya."<ref>Hayes Minnick, BFT Report #565 p. 28</ref>
<!--==Criticism and Controversy==
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“Positive thinking,” as described by Peale could be broken down into a three step process of practicing repeated self-hypnosis, attaining “divine” or God’s power to use for oneself, and eliminating and avoiding all negativity in life.
The first step in positive thinking is focused on the use of repeated self-hypnosis. Peale describes positive thinking as first and foremost as “simply a series of practical and workable techniques for living a successful life.” <ref>''Power of Positive Thinking'', Epilogue: Power of Positive Thinking</ref>
Peale, who had no mental health credentials, was vague as to a definition of his "techniques," although he repeatedly stated that they were scientifically proven and "firmly established as documented and demonstrable truth." <ref>Ibid. Introduction, p. X</ref> Mental health experts, however, clearly saw and identified the techniques as hypnosis.<ref name="murphy">Murphy, R.C. "Think Right: Reverend Peale's Panacea." ''[[The Nation]]''. May 7, 1955, pp.398-400</ref> Hypnosis is defined as "A trance like state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject."<ref>Merriam-Webster Dictionary on-line</ref>
The reader was instructed through constant repetition of affirmations to bypass his conscious mind and implant suggestions into his unconscious mind where they would operate automatically, without the interference of conscious will. “Let them sink into your unconscious and they can help you overcome any difficulty. Say them over and over again. Say them until your mind accepts them, until you believe them – faith power works wonders.”<ref>''Power of Positive Thinking'', p.104</ref> Peale's readers were instructed to "pray ceaselessly," to use his techniques repetitively and permanently.
Peale promised the reader that if they followed and practiced his techniques, they could attain success over almost any adversity. “It is a power that can blast out all defeat and lift a person above all difficult situations.”<ref>Ibid, p.175</ref> Peale insisted that the only way to acquire these attitudes was through the unconscious and through his techniques. Peale repeatedly instructed his readers that their conscious will, their self knowledge, self determination, courage and intelligence were not be enough to live a successful life. He described these conscious acts of will as unreliable, untrustworthy and not sufficient to meet the demands of life. The conscious, self-determining self was to be rejected, disempowered and “surrendered,” so that Peale’s techniques and the unconscious were now the determining and motivating factors in the individual’s life.
The payoff for this rejection of self, according to Peale, was the attainment of God’s power, “I hereby draw power from You as an illimitatable source,”<ref>Ibid, p.45</ref> is one Peale formula. Men now had superhuman powers, and God had now become "man's omnipotent slave." <ref>Cate, C.W. "God and Success." ''The Atlantic''. V.199, April 1957, pp. 74-76</ref> Peale further said that regular prayer was insufficient to meet the demands of life, that in order for prayer to really work the reader had to use his techniques. Peale said controlling the unconscious, using his techniques, was the only channel to attain God’s power. “Surface skimming, formalistic and perfunctory prayer is not sufficiently powerful” <ref>''Power of Positive Thinking'', p.17</ref> says Peale when describing his “prayers” for overcoming an inferiority complex. Formalistic prayer used for thousands of years by Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and other mainstream religions didn’t produce sufficient results according to Peale.
Peale also promised his readers that if they followed his techniques that they could always think positively and remove all negativity from their lives. Negative attitudes were not to be tolerated but avoided at all costs according to Peale. Negative thoughts were to be repressed, cancelled out and destroyed through his techniques. “It is important to eliminate from conversations all negative ideas, for they tend to produce annoyance and tension inwardly." <ref>Ibid, p.33</ref>
Peale’s readers were instructed to never doubt or question a statement Peale made or this would cut off the “power flow.” Any negative doubting of Peale or whether his techniques worked were to be immediately canceled, and the reader was instructed to immediately repeat the Peale phrases.
The Peale statements, and the words that made them up were actual “things” according to Peale. “Thoughts are things,”<ref>Ibid, p. 169</ref> and the repetition of his phrases were more important than actions. Repeating positive only statements would cause only positive things to happen. But according to Peale, the reverse is also true. Thinking negatively causes negative things to happen. Thus the fear of negativity, of avoiding all negative, fearful attitudes is part and parcel of positive thinking. There can be no positive thinking without this avoidance of negative thinking, according to Peale. “Never think of the worst. Drop it out of your thought, relegate it. Let there be no thought in your mind that the worst will happen. Avoid entertaining the concept of the worst, for whatever you take into your mind can grow there.” <ref>Ibid, p.103</ref>
Peale's works came under criticism from theologians, mental health experts, scholars, and politicians. Critics appeared in the early 1950s after the publication of ''The Power of Positive Thinking,'' warning that Peale's message was dangerous and that he was a con man and fraud.
One criticism of ''The Power of Positive Thinking'' is that the book is full of anecdotes that are hard to substantiate. Almost all of the experts and many of the testimonials that Peale quotes as supporting his philosophy are unnamed, unknown, or not sourced. Examples include a "famous psychologist,"<ref>Ibid, p. 52 Fawcett Crest, 1990 edition</ref>, a two-page letter from a "practicing physician,"<ref>Ibid, p.150</ref> another famous psychologist,<ref>Ibid, p. 169</ref> a "prominent citizen of New York City,"<ref>Ibid, p. 88</ref> and dozens, if not hundreds, more unverifiable quotations. Despite the repeated quotations, the reader cannot find even one example of a mental health expert, quoted, named and verifiable who directly endorses Peale or his methods in this book. Similar scientific studies of questionable validity are also cited. While some of the testimonials are referenced, most of the material appears to be greatly exaggerated, and it raise serious ethical questions regarding not only Peale but also the integrity of the publisher(s) of this book. As psychiatrist R. C. Murphy exclaimed "All this advertising is vindicated as it were, by a strict cleaving to the side of part truth," and referred to the work and the quoted material as "implausible and woodenly pious."<ref name="murphy"/>
Further criticism could be grouped under the idea that Peale advocates a dangerous form of self-hypnosis, and serious ethical charges that his message teaches fear, hatred, intolerance and other anti-Christian theology.
Peale asserts that his techniques will give the reader absolute self confidence and deliverance from suffering. Several critics, in turn, assert that such claims are actually a form of hypnosis ([[autosuggestion]]), hidden under a thin guise with the use of terms which may sound more benign from the reader's point of view "techniques", "formulas," "methods," "prayers," and "prescriptions.") Some mental health contemporaries contend that in this way Peale practices deception which could be injurious to the reader. Constant repetitions of autosuggestions in the mind may interfere with clear thinking, undermining independent thought on the matters of self and religion to be found in the works.
Scholar [[Donald Meyer]] described ''TPoPT'' as the "Bible of American autohypnotism,"<ref>Meyer, Donald. ''The Positive Thinkers''. Pantheon Books, 1965, p.264</ref> and Peale's goal to induce a permanent trance state in the reader which Meyer called the "automatized power of positive thinking."<ref>Meyer, p.268</ref> Meyer further suggests that Peale is fully aware of the nature of his methods, yet does not reveal them to the reader. Peale never refers to his techniques as hypnosis.
Psychiatrist R.C. Murphy writes "Self knowledge, in Mr. Peale's understanding is unequivocally bad: self hypnosis is good." Murphy adds that the repeated hypnosis defeats an individual's self motivation, self knowledge, unique sense of self, and sense of reality: "As a whole, the book seductively offers to replace the inner growth force by an external authority which says "I will do it for you" or at least "I will lead you all the way." <ref name="murphy"/>
Psychologist [[Albert Ellis]], the founder of cognitive therapy and influential psychologist of the 20th century, compares the Peale techniques with those of the hypnotist [[Emile Coue]], whom he disagrees with strongly. Ellis' writings repeatedly warn the public not to follow the Peale message. Ellis contends the Peale approach is dangerous, distorted, unrealistic. He compares the black or white view of life that Peale teaches to a psychological disorder ([[Borderline Personality Disorder]]), perhaps implying that dangerous mental habits which he sees in the disorder may be brought on by following the teaching. "In the long run [Peale's teachings] lead to failure and disillusionment, and not only boomerang back against people, but often prejudice them against effective therapy."<ref>''Overcoming Resistance: Rational Emotive Therapy With Difficult Clients,'' New York: Springer Publishing, 1985, p. 147</ref>
Serious ethical charges against Peale's teachings, including Christian theological elements, are expounded in a 1955 article by psychiatrist R. C. Murphy, published in ''The Nation,'' titled "Think Right: Reverend Peale's Panacea."
"<ref name="murphy"/>
[[Meyer]] would seem to heartily agree with this assessment, presenting similar warnings of a relgious nature. In his article "Confidence Man", Meyer says that the reader is promised absolute power to achieve anything he wants by using the Peale techniques. "In more classic literature, this sort of pretension to mastery has often been thought to indicate an alliance with a Lower rather than a Higher power."<ref name="meyer">Meyer, Donald. "Confidence Man." ''[[The New Republic]]'', July 11, 1955, pp. 8-10</ref> The mastery Peale speaks of is not the mastery of skills or tasks, but the mastery of "negative thoughts." The Peale way of life is grim and depressing, fearful of the challenges of life, resigned to the status quo, and destined to become full of frustration, anger, and impotence. Negative thoughts about life experience are not to be challenged, confronted, much less changed or even allowed to remain in the adherent's mind. "[B]attle it is; Peale, in sublime betrayal of the aggression within his philosophy of peace, talks of 'shooting' prayers at people."<ref name="meyer"/>
[[Adlai Stevenson]] was famously quoted as saying "I find [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]] appealing and Peale appalling."{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
Psychologist Martin Seligman, the originator of a movement he terms "positive psychology" and a scholar of the experience of human happiness, says "positive thinking" (bearing no resemblance to his own "positive psychology") is unproven and dangerous. He cautions readers not to confuse the two approaches. "First, positive thinking is an armchair activity. Positive psychology, on the other hand, is tied to a program of empirical and replicable scientific activity.... Where accuracy is tied to potentially catastrophic outcomes (for example, when an airline pilot is deciding whether to de-ice the wings of her airplane) we should all be pessimists.... Positive psychology is a supplement to negative psychology, not a substitute."<ref>Seligman, Martin. ''Authentic Happiness'', Free Press, 2002, pp. 288-299</ref>
==Norman Vincent Peale Quotations==
*Change your thoughts and you change your world.
*You can have peace of mind, improved health and an ever-increasing flow of energy. Life can be full of joy and satisfaction.
*Those who are fired with an enthusiastic idea and who allow it to take hold and dominate their thoughts find that new worlds open for them. As long as enthusiasm holds out, so will new opportunities.
*Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. The way you think about a fact may defeat you before you ever do anything about it. You are overcome by the fact because you think you are.
*Getting people to like you is merely the other side of liking them.
*When you wholeheartedly adopt a 'with all your heart' attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things.
*Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.
*The challenges in life are there not to break you, but to create you.
*Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.-->
[[Berkas:NormanVpeale.jpg|right|thumb|Dr. Peale]]
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