Evil Self-Help Speakers

[Enlightenment]

While I have benefited from Tony Robbins, Steve Covey, Dyer, and others, I find that they are wonderful 'beginner' teachers. If you need motivation then Robbins is the one. If you need practical wisdom, Covey is the one. Dyer is a great teacher for the beginnings of spirituality, I think.
To me, self-development is just like studying for anything else in life, once you grasp basic concepts that particular teachers offer, you then move on.
I really found Chopra to be inspirational and good with explaining the quantum physics side of things as well as integrating that into the more intangable spiritual side of it. His philosophy helped me connect the dots, so to speak.
There are certain writers/speakers I refer to time and again and those include Jack Canfield who is quite practical, James Ray, and Marianne Williamson. Of course, I'm always in search of less known writers, such as Christian Larson, whose works may contain tidbits that may help me in my quest for the overall picture. I don't believe just one person has all the knowledge or tools for self-development. I think because we are all different we can all draw upon different philosophies to happily reach the same point of self awareness.

[Jennihul]

Another factor is this:

These people, like it or not, are richer than God. If they were truly evil do you think they would have dedicated their entire LIVES to helping other people? Tony Robbin's first billion would last him and all his descendants for their lifetimes.

Same with Bill Gates. Love him or hate him, he's what is right about wealth and about giving back and about what human potential is all about.

Jennifer

[JMan]

[QUOTE=Freelancer;156705]I did get a lot out of Tony, although I must say that NLP isn't my thing as you said it feels fake. The thing is he's a great speaker with a passion for life who's incredibly motivated, listening to him can give you a bit of his passion and motivation. I must say he's not for everyone and probably overrated as well.[QUOTE]

....sounds like Obama.....

[ellie]

It's funny 3nigma, I get the exact same feeling about Tony Robbins. I just find him to be so untrusing, fake, and I see it in his smile and eyes too.

My close friend loves him, and lent me a few of his cds and they did nothing for me what-so-ever. Accept instill my beliefs that he talks crap, but then like what everyone else mentioned, what works for some might not work for others. Still as I don't trust him with a ten foot pole, so I know I wont need to waste $10,000 on him.

But yes I just don't get what people get out of TR. It's like I can so clearly what he's really like and I can't understand why other people can't see it.

But hey if we all saw through stuff, we all wouldn't believe in religion

Ah the human race, what a funny bunch we are.

[busy91]

Wayne Dyer was also my first experience with self help books. I think his stuff helped me a great deal. Back then, his stuff was new to me (this was in the late 80s early 90s), I find a lot of his stuff now is just regurgitated. I never felt scammed or gyped by him. I saw his books in the book store, I bought it, I read it, I learned from it. Over the years I've read other authors and always spot things that are said in there that Dr. Dyer once said back in the 80s (I'm sure he got it from a book written in the 70s).

I cannot comment on Tony however, but I'm sure he's helped people too. It all depends on what you are looking for and how you personally work and connect with people and topics.

I've read / heard some stuff that I would not recommend, but if someone finds them on their own, and gets a benefit from it, who am I to pooh pooh it?