Now, that makes perfect sense.
The biggest surprise from Game of Thorns was learning that Trump is genuinely religious. There was so much kerfuffle in 2016 about whether evangelicals would go for him – I’m sure that’s why he chose Pence – that you’d think someone would’ve brought up the fact he’s a regular church-goer.
He was raised as a conventional Presbyterian (me too), but when he moved to Manhattan, he got caught up in the Marble Collegiate Church. Yeah, that’s Norman Vincent Peale’s church. Trump got hooked on Peale’s upbeat flavor of Christianity and spent a lot of time there. Met his second wife at church.
I never read the Power of Positive Thinking, but Wikipedia tells me it starts with these 10 rules:
1. Picture yourself succeeding.
2. Think a positive thought to drown out a negative thought.
3. Minimize obstacles.
4. Do not attempt to copy others.
5. Repeat “If God be for us, who can be against us?” ten times every day.
6. Work with a counselor.
7. Repeat “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” ten times every day.
8. Develop a strong self-respect.
9. Affirm that you are in God’s hands.
10. Believe that you receive power from God.
I mean, is that not the Trumpiest philosophy ever? I’m surprised Peale is controversial, since that there’s classic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is not.
After Peale retired, Trump took up with Paula White, a Florida televangelist. She was spiritual adviser during his first term. Don’t know what their status is now.
The picture is what happens when you give Grok the prompt create an image to illustrate “the power of positive thinking”. It was not at all what I expected. You think it would Google (that’s how AI works, yes?) and find Peale. Or do something abstract with brain waves.
January 22, 2025 — 6:09 pm
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