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  • Is This the Way Out of the Pressures?
    Awake!—1971 | October 8
    • Thousands today claim to have found the secret to relief from stress and tension. How? By philosophies, both Oriental and Western. Through intense meditation some claim they can ‘tune out’ today’s troubles and find inner peace. Others believe in strong optimism through the ‘power of positive thinking.’ “Be confident!” they say. “Believe in yourself and your own ability to succeed!”

      Is this the answer to today’s pressures?

      Obviously, such philosophy will not get you through a traffic jam if you are surrounded by long lines of cars. And though a person might try to ‘tune out’ the danger signals of a malignant tumor, would this stop the tumor from growing in his body?

      Of course, confidence and optimism are fine. But they need a solid basis. To illustrate: The New York Times Magazine recently published an article on J. I. Rodale, a successful publisher and a leader in the field of organic farming and health foods. He was quoted as saying: “I’m going to live to be 100, unless I’m run down by a sugar-crazed taxi driver.” The day after the article appeared, he died of a heart attack at the age of seventy-two.

      To live in a dream world and build air castles out of our own ambitions or imagined abilities may be soothing. But if the only foundation is our own imperfect ability and thinking, or the shifting philosophies of dying men, we are due for a rude awakening someday.

  • Is This the Way Out of the Pressures?
    Awake!—1971 | October 8
    • [Picture on page 10]

      Can the philosophy of believing in yourself get you through a traffic jam?

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