Mitch Horowitz: Reagan First President to Embrace Positive Thinking

The author told Breitbart News Executive Chairman and host Stephen K. Bannon that the idea of “positive thinking” has been a crucial but misunderstood concept in America. Bannon agreed and pointed out early in the program that from President Reagan’s outlook that “Nothing is Impossible”...

He cites that Norman Vincent Peale, who was widely derided in the intellectual culture, revealed that scripture is laden with ideas that the mind has “positive powers.” Horowitz defends Peale as someone who worked very hard laboring over scripture and was not mistaken in believing that it embodied a “Theology of Self Affirmation. It didn’t replace the message of salvation but it augmented it.”

I've always pooh-poohed positive thinking, probably because of my sort of rigid, old school Christian beliefs. But I find this interesting. This article was written in 2014, before Trump announced his candidacy. Then during this campaign a lot of stuff has been written on Trump's positive thinking which is attributed to Norman Vincent Peale, Trump's pastor growing up. Most of the articles have been liberal hit pieces, slamming Peale as a conman who is responsible for Trump's narcissism. E.g., Politico: How Norman Vincent Peale Taught Donald Trump to Worship Himself

I met Donald Trump in 2009 and spent approximately 20 minutes chatting with him one on one. It was non-business related. I worked for the government at the time and he was in D.C. on business. Anyway, meeting up with him and his people (I think I also talked with Michael Cohen) was like nothing I've ever experienced (and I've been with Bill Clinton and his USSS detail and many other high-profile VIPs). But Trump exuded a confidence that seemed larger than life. The guy walked through a major government building like he owned it. I didn't attribute it to him being a billionaire because I've met other billionaires one-on-one (George Soros) who didn't impress me at all. Anyway, Trump was the most gracious and respectful VIP I've ever met yet had a cool confident style I've never seen any other person coming close to.

So, long story short, I later took a new job that kind of threw me into a sink-or-swim day-to-day existence. I was floundering a bit, with 24/7 stress. Many situations with major CEOs and high-level people that got me nervous and intimidated. Out of desperation I read Trump's books (especially Think Like a Champion), imbibed his wisdom, bought a dozen Trump ties, starting going into meetings imagining it was Trump in there and damned if my self-conscious, nervous focus didn't abate in no time. When you change your focus from looking at what can go wrong to all that can go right, it's like running without a hundred-pound backpack which has been digging into your back. Anyway, after that I never really went back to developing this positive mindset stuff (didn't need it as much), but I really can see the effectiveness.

Wow. Thanks for taking the time to share this.

Here’s a Proverbs quote that goes along the lines of positive thinking: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...”

The Bible is full of positive thinking quotes.

Some of my favorite quotes about thinking are: (1) what you think about you bring about; (2) thoughts are things.

that’s an awesome post, and I have known a few people who have had similar encounters with Trump, for a similar period of time, and they say the same thing.

With regards to the substance of “Positive Thinking”...the article does a good job of introducing the topic correctly. When understood as a distinctively American application of Christian truth...it begins to make more sense.

And yes, when any practical application of Christian truth becomes untethered from Christian theology, it will veer off into practical heresy...witness how some Christians embrace the gay movement as nothing more than “love”. But if you begin with Christian theology...and then move to apply it concretely and uniquely....which is what I understand that Peale did...then, voila, you get a great tool box.

I may end up getting the book referenced in the article, because it deals with a few things that I am intensely interested in...not just the history of ideas of the Christian west, but, the history of a uniquely American idea....

Now...let’s get ‘er done!

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