Bob Proctor (author)
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| Bob Proctor | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1934 Guelph, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | February 3, 2022 (aged 87) |
| Occupation |
|
| Period | 1984–2022 |
| Genre | Nonfiction, self-help |
| Notable works | You Were Born Rich (1984) The Secret (2006) |
Robert Corlett Proctor (5 July 1934 – 3 February 2022[1]) was a Canadian self-help author and lecturer.[2] He was best known for his New York Times best-selling book You Were Born Rich (1984) and being a contributor to the film The Secret (2006).[3] Proctor's teachings maintained the idea that a positive self-image is critical for obtaining success, frequently referencing the pseudoscientific belief of the Law of Attraction.[3]
Proctor's teachings of the Law of Attraction were often criticized for being a threat to individuals for suggesting that simply having a sustained thought over time will materialize those thoughts into reality, whether it be for riches or for health.[2] Some experts worried that individuals may opt for Proctor's model of positive thinking instead of physical therapies or medical intervention.[2]
The Law of Attraction originates from quantum mysticism which suggests that positive thinking can shape reality, incorrectly citing quantum mechanics which draws upon "coincidental similarities of language rather than genuine connections".[4][5]
Contents
Life and career
Early years
Proctor claimed to have a poor self-image and little ambition as a child, dropping out from Danforth Tech after a bandsaw-inflicted thumb injury with no plans for the future.[6] Working in a fire department in Toronto Proctor met a man who shared the book Think and Grow Rich with him at the age of 26, the first book he claimed to have ever read.[7] Soon afterward, Proctor claimed his life started to change as the book shifted his focus in life.[7]
Proctor went on to start a company offering cleaning services at first - a venture that he claimed netted him over $100,000 in his starting year with no formal education or business experience.[3]
You Were Born Rich and The Secret
Proctor joined the Nightingale-Conant Organization and worked his way up within the company claiming to have been mentored by Earl Nightingale.[citation needed]
In 1984, the book You Were Born Rich,[7] was published by McCrary Publishing. Prior to that, other publishers sent the book back to him noting that "this book is absurd."[8] Australian-based filmmaker Rhonda Byrne discovered Proctor's book and led her to requesting he be interviewed and participate in the 2006 movie The Secret.[9]
Although there have been some reports of success using the technique from You Were Born Rich {Citation needed}, financial experts continue to express caution from not making sound investments.[10]
Personal life and death
Proctor died on February 3, 2022, at the age of 87.[11][12][13][14]
Law of Attraction
Throughout his material, Bob Proctor aims to have the reader or audience tap into their "inner self".[15] He explains their inner-self is what is controlling all that is brought into their life - and that a bad self-image, or bad paradigm "programming", will lead to poor results even with training and proper education.[9] Instead of academic training, which Proctor argued caused a lot of harm, his work focused on personal development and a pseudoscientific misunderstanding of quantum mechanics which he claimed was "the basic laws of the universe".[16]
Despite any evidence supporting the Law of Attraction, Proctor contended that everything in the universe vibrates and similar vibrations attract each other.[15] Using a misunderstanding of Kirlian photography, Proctor also argued that a person's mind and body also vibrates, and since he believes that humans are capable of controlling their thoughts, and therefore their vibrations, they are capable of controlling our results. He said there was nothing in a person's life they could not change through the Law of Attraction.[15]
Proctor maintained the idea that even a recession was the result of excessive media negativity, attracting the recession to the economy. In a 2009 article, The Wall Street Journal opined that if any of Proctor's followers believed that they could simply choose not to participate in the recession and that they were being shammed.[15]
References
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- ↑ Collins, Tim (2 March 2010). Behind the Lost Symbol. Penguin Group US. p. 87. ISBN 9781101197615. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ↑ The Secret to the Law of Attraction with Bob Proctor. Part 1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The Secret to the Law of Attraction with Bob Proctor, Part 1
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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