Comments on: Skilled Empaths, Rose? http://skeptic.dk/?p=102 In Love with Alteration... Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:12:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: hello http://skeptic.dk/?p=102&cpage=1#comment-1705 hello Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:22:34 +0000 http://skeptic.dk/?p=102#comment-1705 Sorry to be so quarrelsome earlier. I was looking for an argument and jumped in without thinking. My apologies. I think you'll find the book is good, the self-promotion is...not so great. Which part you've already discovered. There's so much out there on the market. Some people are great self promoters and their products are weak and some people are not great self promoters but their products are sound. It's definitely a time to be discriminating as consumers, to discern what's "flash in the pan" from what's the real deal. Sorry to be so quarrelsome earlier. I was looking for an argument and jumped in without thinking. My apologies.

I think you’ll find the book is good, the self-promotion is…not so great. Which part you’ve already discovered.

There’s so much out there on the market. Some people are great self promoters and their products are weak and some people are not great self promoters but their products are sound.

It’s definitely a time to be discriminating as consumers, to discern what’s “flash in the pan” from what’s the real deal.

]]> By: Malene http://skeptic.dk/?p=102&cpage=1#comment-1704 Malene Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:53:57 +0000 http://skeptic.dk/?p=102#comment-1704 I think, you are misinterpreting my intentions with my initial blog post. Or perhaps I have failed to make it clear. I am not criticizing Rosetree's books. And you are right, they may work better for some than others. What I am advocating against is the way she exploits the insecurity and emphasizes it in order to make people buy her books. It is not just about making some commercial for the stuff she sells, it is her way of doing it. And that really makes me want to b... blog! Because as far as I know, there is no actual knowledge about the empath ability. And yet she claims to be some kind of expert on this subject, making it clear that advice (like mine) that can be explained in less words than a book are more or less deadly for people to follow. (the example with the drivers license) I believe it to be such a falls assumption, and I will have to buy her book just to see, why she find the need to explain it in an entire book. I have other books on my shelf in which perhaps 10% of the book actually has the content I was expecting to find. The rest (90%) was the authors own perspective on why and what and how, which was highly unreliable and very disappointing. And that is unfortunately very common in this area of writers. I would like more transparency. Just because people are spiritual, doesn't mean they are stupid and will go along with everything. They just never put up demands for quality, because anything goes in this business. And unfortunately I don't believe, that the "rotten apples" will fall off the shelfs. It depends very much on how their books are marketed, e.g. scientology (again). They too have followers and loyal readers, it is not a guarantee for quality. I am not sure, what I will get out of it. I feel a need to express myself, so that is what I do. If I can raise a bit of discussion about it, then that is clearly a bonus, but I cannot revolutionize the spiritual supermarket even if I would like to do just that. You could turn it around and ask yourself why you decided to post a comment on my article? I am very pleased you did, and I think we pretty much agree, but isn't it the same urge we both possess? After all, I am just one voice against Rosetree's many followers and dedicated readers. And yet you decided to confront me, even though my post hardly does any harm to Rosetree's career. Again, it comes off so negatively, but I honestly appreciate the debate on this. Thank you for responding! :-) I think, you are misinterpreting my intentions with my initial blog post. Or perhaps I have failed to make it clear.

I am not criticizing Rosetree’s books. And you are right, they may work better for some than others. What I am advocating against is the way she exploits the insecurity and emphasizes it in order to make people buy her books.

It is not just about making some commercial for the stuff she sells, it is her way of doing it. And that really makes me want to b… blog! Because as far as I know, there is no actual knowledge about the empath ability. And yet she claims to be some kind of expert on this subject, making it clear that advice (like mine) that can be explained in less words than a book are more or less deadly for people to follow. (the example with the drivers license)

I believe it to be such a falls assumption, and I will have to buy her book just to see, why she find the need to explain it in an entire book. I have other books on my shelf in which perhaps 10% of the book actually has the content I was expecting to find. The rest (90%) was the authors own perspective on why and what and how, which was highly unreliable and very disappointing. And that is unfortunately very common in this area of writers.

I would like more transparency. Just because people are spiritual, doesn’t mean they are stupid and will go along with everything. They just never put up demands for quality, because anything goes in this business.
And unfortunately I don’t believe, that the “rotten apples” will fall off the shelfs. It depends very much on how their books are marketed, e.g. scientology (again). They too have followers and loyal readers, it is not a guarantee for quality.

I am not sure, what I will get out of it. I feel a need to express myself, so that is what I do. If I can raise a bit of discussion about it, then that is clearly a bonus, but I cannot revolutionize the spiritual supermarket even if I would like to do just that.

You could turn it around and ask yourself why you decided to post a comment on my article? I am very pleased you did, and I think we pretty much agree, but isn’t it the same urge we both possess?

After all, I am just one voice against Rosetree’s many followers and dedicated readers. And yet you decided to confront me, even though my post hardly does any harm to Rosetree’s career. Again, it comes off so negatively, but I honestly appreciate the debate on this.

Thank you for responding! :-)

]]> By: hello http://skeptic.dk/?p=102&cpage=1#comment-1703 hello Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:26:15 +0000 http://skeptic.dk/?p=102#comment-1703 I agree, this field of spirituality and spiritual services is all very subjective. But I'm not sure how you can change that and quantify it. The fact remains that we are all different. All of us! So what works for you is different from what works for my neighbor Nelda and what works for Aunt Theresa. It's like when you give a medicine (let's say Nyquil) to a bunch of people with the same complaint, it will work for some but not for all. Is it the Nyquil provider's fault that it doesn't work for everyone? Maybe you just don't like Nyquil, and that's ok. Or maybe you're allergic or it doesn't fit your body type of your mind/spirit/belief type. Maybe it makes you throw up, because your body doesn't take it well. I think this is one of those areas that is caveat emptor...the buyer has to beware because there's a lot of stuff out there and it's not all going to suit all of us, not unless we are cardboard cutouts and all identical, with identical reactions. I wish I could say that there aren't frauds out there in the metaphysical community, but I comfort myself with the notion that they won't get repeat business that way. The product has to be solid or people won't come back. Maybe that's a slim reassurance, but I don't see another answer to it. Do you? I agree, this field of spirituality and spiritual services is all very subjective. But I’m not sure how you can change that and quantify it. The fact remains that we are all different. All of us! So what works for you is different from what works for my neighbor Nelda and what works for Aunt Theresa. It’s like when you give a medicine (let’s say Nyquil) to a bunch of people with the same complaint, it will work for some but not for all. Is it the Nyquil provider’s fault that it doesn’t work for everyone? Maybe you just don’t like Nyquil, and that’s ok. Or maybe you’re allergic or it doesn’t fit your body type of your mind/spirit/belief type. Maybe it makes you throw up, because your body doesn’t take it well. I think this is one of those areas that is caveat emptor…the buyer has to beware because there’s a lot of stuff out there and it’s not all going to suit all of us, not unless we are cardboard cutouts and all identical, with identical reactions. I wish I could say that there aren’t frauds out there in the metaphysical community, but I comfort myself with the notion that they won’t get repeat business that way. The product has to be solid or people won’t come back. Maybe that’s a slim reassurance, but I don’t see another answer to it. Do you?

]]> By: Malene http://skeptic.dk/?p=102&cpage=1#comment-1694 Malene Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:25:00 +0000 http://skeptic.dk/?p=102#comment-1694 "I don’t see why you take issue with this lady selling her book." I believe, I have argued for the difficulties I see with this. You can find them all in this very article you are commenting on. If you want me to join a discussion with you, please do take the time to choose some of my arguments and confront them. I have no intention of repeating myself, but I welcome a good discussion on this subject. I feel, there is much need for a critical view on this subject, even more so, when there is money involved, and especially when there are "tests" to "help" people find out about their "true gifts" and potential, if they will only spend xx $ for a following reading after which they will be suggested which books to buy. Scientology uses that same method, but we shouldn't question that either? I mean, they have to make money somehow, right? As part of being in the real world... "I personally don’t have a problem with paying for a service, which is in fact what she provides." Most services can be questioned and controlled. If I go to a restaurant here in Denmark, I can see whether or not they have problems with hygiene. If I get a bad service I can complain. If I get a stomach infection I can take it further up line. If I don't get what I pay for "in the real world" I can complain and get my money back. That is part of the service, I am paying for to begin with. Is there a way of getting my money back, if an aura reading isn't correct? How could I control it? I can't. Is there a way of getting my money back, if the "techniques" she has "devoted her life" to "develop" are not working? No of course not, because it couldn't be her techniques that were wrong, it must be me who is not doing it right, right? It is not a service as we see it in the real world. This is allegedly the spiritual world, where nothing supposedly can be controlled. Therefore it should not be harmful to anyone, that I put on my critical glasses and questions both the methods, the arguments and the promises of how great these products are. As one would do in the real world. - Malene “I don’t see why you take issue with this lady selling her book.”

I believe, I have argued for the difficulties I see with this. You can find them all in this very article you are commenting on. If you want me to join a discussion with you, please do take the time to choose some of my arguments and confront them.

I have no intention of repeating myself, but I welcome a good discussion on this subject. I feel, there is much need for a critical view on this subject, even more so, when there is money involved, and especially when there are “tests” to “help” people find out about their “true gifts” and potential, if they will only spend xx $ for a following reading after which they will be suggested which books to buy.

Scientology uses that same method, but we shouldn’t question that either? I mean, they have to make money somehow, right? As part of being in the real world…

“I personally don’t have a problem with paying for a service, which is in fact what she provides.”

Most services can be questioned and controlled. If I go to a restaurant here in Denmark, I can see whether or not they have problems with hygiene. If I get a bad service I can complain. If I get a stomach infection I can take it further up line.
If I don’t get what I pay for “in the real world” I can complain and get my money back. That is part of the service, I am paying for to begin with.

Is there a way of getting my money back, if an aura reading isn’t correct? How could I control it? I can’t.
Is there a way of getting my money back, if the “techniques” she has “devoted her life” to “develop” are not working?
No of course not, because it couldn’t be her techniques that were wrong, it must be me who is not doing it right, right?

It is not a service as we see it in the real world. This is allegedly the spiritual world, where nothing supposedly can be controlled. Therefore it should not be harmful to anyone, that I put on my critical glasses and questions both the methods, the arguments and the promises of how great these products are.

As one would do in the real world.

- Malene

]]> By: hello http://skeptic.dk/?p=102&cpage=1#comment-1692 hello Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:33:22 +0000 http://skeptic.dk/?p=102#comment-1692 I don't see why you take issue with this lady selling her book. Millions of people this day and age write books and sell them. And of course they say "buy this book to have access to my thoughts, ideas, and spiritual techniques". I personally don't have a problem with paying for a service, which is in fact what she provides. After all, if she's devoted her life to exploring and teaching spiritual methods, why would she give them away for free? One has to earn a living, somehow! I mean, join the real world, you know... I don’t see why you take issue with this lady selling her book. Millions of people this day and age write books and sell them. And of course they say “buy this book to have access to my thoughts, ideas, and spiritual techniques”. I personally don’t have a problem with paying for a service, which is in fact what she provides. After all, if she’s devoted her life to exploring and teaching spiritual methods, why would she give them away for free? One has to earn a living, somehow! I mean, join the real world, you know…

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