|
|
Post by skyfire on Dec 27, 2009 21:41:49 GMT -5
linkIn short? A private Christian school made the decision to incorporate the "for teens" version of Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Successful People into the curriculum as a philosophy course. Given that the book is virtually everywhere in the world of business, the decision makes sense as it's something many of the students can expect to encounter when they get out into the real world. Delilah, a syndicated radio host, responded to the move by pulling three of her children out of the school. Her reason? She regards Covey's writings as little more than "stealth Mormonism" and fears that the school is attempting to indoctrinate students away from "Christianity." I'll be one of the first to admit that Covey is a damned quack, and that his feel-good bullshit is so poorly thought out in places that it has the potential to make a situation worse. I only read his book because mom went fangirl over him after reading about how some fast-food joint won't hire anyone unless said prospect is familiar with his writings, and promptly sold my copy at the earliest possible moment. But come on, folks. A spat like this is on par with watching Beavis and Butthead fight over the last nacho. I can only see stupidity coming out of this one.
|
|
|
|
Post by ironbite on Dec 27, 2009 22:45:51 GMT -5
Covey's a Mormon and Mormonism isn't Christianity? Wha? I'll call your cult alot of things but it's still a branch of Christianity right?
Ironbite-unless I'm mistaken about what Christianity is again.
|
|
|
|
Post by lonelocust on Dec 27, 2009 22:53:22 GMT -5
A lot of fundiedoodles who aren't mormons like to go on about how Mormons aren't Christians. Often the same evangelicals who like to say that Catholics aren't Christians, but maybe a few more than that. Even though it branched off of Protestantism.
|
|
|
|
Post by yojetak on Dec 28, 2009 1:58:18 GMT -5
Covey's a Mormon and Mormonism isn't Christianity? Wha? I'll call your cult alot of things but it's still a branch of Christianity right? Ironbite-unless I'm mistaken about what Christianity is again. It's all pretty much the same, but mormons have magic underwear and heaven fucking tacked on. Also Jello. Lots and lots of jello. |
|
|
|
Post by Old Viking on Dec 28, 2009 16:19:38 GMT -5
Another chapter in the continuing saga of bizarre beliefs vs. bizarre beliefs.
|
|
|
|
Post by trike on Dec 30, 2009 15:12:49 GMT -5
I had to go through that blasted book in high school, it was extremely stupid but in no way did I detect any religious component in it (I would have picked it up if it did as I was a fundigelical conservative douchebag in high school).
|
|
|
|
Post by kristine on Dec 30, 2009 15:56:41 GMT -5
linkIn short? A private Christian school made the decision to incorporate the "for teens" version of Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Successful People into the curriculum as a philosophy course. Given that the book is virtually everywhere in the world of business, the decision makes sense as it's something many of the students can expect to encounter when they get out into the real world. Delilah, a syndicated radio host, responded to the move by pulling three of her children out of the school. Her reason? She regards Covey's writings as little more than "stealth Mormonism" and fears that the school is attempting to indoctrinate students away from "Christianity." I'll be one of the first to admit that Covey is a damned quack, and that his feel-good bullshit is so poorly thought out in places that it has the potential to make a situation worse. I only read his book because mom went fangirl over him after reading about how some fast-food joint won't hire anyone unless said prospect is familiar with his writings, and promptly sold my copy at the earliest possible moment. But come on, folks. A spat like this is on par with watching Beavis and Butthead fight over the last nacho. I can only see stupidity coming out of this one. What are the 7 habits? (haven't read the book) and are they 'mormon' religious specific in any way? This sounds like another nutball who doesn't want the responsibility of acting like a parent and discussing things with their children and pulling a knee jerk reaction when the school didn't cowtow to the parent's wishes. Here is an oportunity for the parent to discuss what they don't like about an author or to tell the kids what they think is wrong with the book but instead they will upend the kids life to enhance the specticle of them throwing a snit.  |
|
|
|
Post by skyfire on Dec 30, 2009 16:10:27 GMT -5
What are the 7 habits? (haven't read the book) and are they 'mormon' religious specific in any way? Covey wrote the book assuming that his audience was a bunch of semi-competent douchebags who couldn't schedule their day worth crap and were reviled by their families for putting work ahead of them. The book is actually insulting in points and contains a fair amount of bad advice, but apparently enough semi-competent douchebags found wisdom within its pages to make it a perpetual best-seller and a constant source of "wisdom" among the world of business. |
|
|
|
Post by captainhooker on Dec 30, 2009 19:05:28 GMT -5
What are the 7 habits? (haven't read the book) and are they 'mormon' religious specific in any way? I looked it up on wikipedia: The chapters are dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:
Dependence to Independence
* Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice
* Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
* Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution
Independence to Interdependence
* Habit 4: Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit
* Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding
* Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation
Continual Improvement
* Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal
|
|
|
|
Post by kristine on Dec 31, 2009 2:34:22 GMT -5
What are the 7 habits? (haven't read the book) and are they 'mormon' religious specific in any way? I looked it up on wikipedia: The chapters are dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:
Dependence to Independence
* Habit 1: Be Proactive: Principles of Personal Choice
* Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind: Principles of Personal Vision
* Habit 3: Put First Things First: Principles of Integrity & Execution
Independence to Interdependence
* Habit 4: Think Win/Win: Principles of Mutual Benefit
* Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: Principles of Mutual Understanding
* Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation
Continual Improvement
* Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal
okay...those don't look particularly religious to me...and if kids are encouraged to start managing time better as a habit - I'm all for it. So Sky what was the ..." insulting in points and contains a fair amount of bad advice" parts? |
|
|
|
Post by skyfire on Dec 31, 2009 7:35:57 GMT -5
So Sky what was the ..." insulting in points and contains a fair amount of bad advice" parts? One bit that stood out to me was an incident wherein a friend of his - who owned a small storefront inside a mall - found himself confronted with the prospect of the rent going up by a considerable amount. The friend tried his absolute best to talk the mall's owner out of the rent increase, but to no avail. Covey responded by telling the friend that he didn't really try, or else he'd have somehow succeeded in creating a win / win situation. Sorry, but life isn't known for always handing people win / win situations; sometimes, it's a matter of making the best out of a losing situation. Not only did Covey deeply insult his friend with his response, he also told everyone who read his book that if you can't make a "win" out of any situation then you have somehow failed because you didn't try hard enough. That's not far from the same mentality which says "so what if my SO beats the shit out of me or my boss uses me for a piece of carpeting? They'll love me if I just suck up to them a little more" when everything else would say "run like hell." |
|
|
|
Post by kristine on Dec 31, 2009 12:53:25 GMT -5
So Sky what was the ..." insulting in points and contains a fair amount of bad advice" parts? One bit that stood out to me was an incident wherein a friend of his - who owned a small storefront inside a mall - found himself confronted with the prospect of the rent going up by a considerable amount. The friend tried his absolute best to talk the mall's owner out of the rent increase, but to no avail. Covey responded by telling the friend that he didn't really try, or else he'd have somehow succeeded in creating a win / win situation. Sorry, but life isn't known for always handing people win / win situations; sometimes, it's a matter of making the best out of a losing situation. Not only did Covey deeply insult his friend with his response, he also told everyone who read his book that if you can't make a "win" out of any situation then you have somehow failed because you didn't try hard enough. That's not far from the same mentality which says "so what if my SO beats the shit out of me or my boss uses me for a piece of carpeting? They'll love me if I just suck up to them a little more" when everything else would say "run like hell." I agree with you there. Not every situation can be a win/win unless you want to contort yourself 100 different ways, suspend reality, and bury your ethics. I've had classes on sales (with land line phone company teaching it's customers service people to take advantage of the person calling in for help) and the guy who taught the class quoted a line from the movie Boiler Room (a movie about unethical sales) as 'words to live by' - "either you sell them the product or they've sold you that they can't buy it. You have to be a better sales person than the person your talking to." - Reality never enters into the equation. Much like some others who insist there is always a way for people to 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps' if they are poor, or 'just get over' a traumatic event. I hope the author made up the story about his 'friend' or that his 'friend' told him off. |
|
