In 1952 Norman Vincent Peale published his book The Power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide to Mastering the Problems of Everyday Living. Peale contended that the replacement of negative thinking and self-doubt with with positive thinking and faith (in god and in oneself) would result in a happier and more successful life. A large part of his technique was the continual repetition of positive thoughts and beliefs about one’s life and prospects. The book was filled with anecdotal stories of individuals who had turned their lives around and became successful by practicing positive thinking and self-confidence. The book became a best seller, spending 48 weeks as the number one non-fiction book on the New York Times best-seller list.
While much of the general public became enamored with Peale’s ideas, academics, mental-health experts, and religious leaders questioned and challenged Peale’s writings. Criticisms included:
- Peale’s use of anecdotal evidence without any sources meant that his accounts of the success of his techniques could not be verified.
- Peale’s techniques were little more than self-hypnosis, did not lead to true self-improvement, and could, in fact, lead to mental health problems.
- Peale’s approach was little more than a childish and simplistic repetition of fanciful ideas and phrases that created an imaginary view of reality.
- Peale’s techniques could create a distortion of reality that could result in harm to the individual, their family, those close to them, and society in general.
- Peale’s approach requires people to ignore, sanitize, or justify any failures, suffering, or tragedy they see, often placing the responsibility for the failures, suffering or tragedy on the victim.
- Peale’s approach prevented true self-analysis or insight into one’s situation.
Aa a result, Peale was dismissed by some as little more than a con man who was primarily focused on selling books, making money, and self-promotion.
Peale, an ordained minister, became the pastor of the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. He established a religious-psychiatric clinic next to the church to serve its members. The clinic eventually evolved into the American Foundation of Religion and Psychiatry.
The family of Fred and Mary Anne Trump, including Donald Trump, were members of the congregation at the Marble Collegiate Church. According to the President’s niece, Mary Trump, Fred Trump was very attracted to the ideas of Peale and promoted them to his children. The President would later praise Peale as an important influence on him:
- “I still remember his sermons. You could listen to him all day long. And when you left the church, you were disappointed it was over. He was the greatest guy.”
- “He (Peale) would speak the power of positive thinking. He would speak so much, and he’d bring it into modern-day life. He talked about success stories and people that were successful and became alcoholics, and then they conquered it…and I grew up watching that,”
- “I’m a cautious optimist but also a firm believer in the power of being positive. I think that helped. I refused to be sucked into negative thinking on any level, even when the indications weren’t great. That was a good lesson because I emerged on a very victorious level. It’s a good way to go.”
The ideas of Peale continue to be influential to this day. His ideas have been adopted, re-packaged, and expanded by today’s religious, self-help adherents. They include the likes of Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, and Paula White, advocates of the ideas of the so called “prosperity gospel”. This gospel states that god intends that people should be successful and wealthy; that if you believe that you will be successful and wealthy, you will be. If you do not attain success and wealth it is your own fault; that insufficient faith and lack of true belief is the core reason for any failure. Not surprisingly, White was one of the pastors invited to pray at Trump’s inauguration.
Trump’s approach to life, business, and the Presidency reflects what he learned from his father and Norman Vincent Peale. Failure is unacceptable. Admitting defeat is unacceptable. If you always maintain a positive, winning attitude, success is inevitable. Don’t let unpleasant, negative facts get in the way of your vision of your success. Ignore or change the facts to confirm your perception of yourself as a success. From the failure of his casinos and real estate deals, the size of the audience at his inauguration, who won the popular vote in 2016, health-care reform, his phone call with the leader of Ukraine, and the impact of the coronavirus, Trump sees nothing but victory. He cannot, will not, allow any negativity into his view of himself and his world.
Trump learned the lessons of Norman Vincent Peale all too well. Like Peale, it can be argued that Trump is little more than a con man interested in making money and self-promotion. Like Peale, Trump relies on and promotes the idea of positive thinking. Unfortunately in Trump’s case, this has devolved into a reliance on delusional thinking. Unfortunately for our country, it is coming at the expense of all of us.
