tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post6820765148961093227..comments2023-11-28T10:48:10.842-08:00Comments on PriceFixer: Tony Robbins's Bad TED TalkUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-88036115756393909842018-07-01T09:40:48.632-07:002018-07-01T09:40:48.632-07:00Years later.. I just stumbled on to this post afte...Years later.. I just stumbled on to this post after watching his ted talk as well. I agree with you, in many ways, that the talk was bad. It was really bad actually, and I say this as someone who has always been a fan of Robbins. I don't think his talk was narcissistic or "all about ME" as you stated, at all. But I did think it was completely scatter brained, went in a dozen new directions every minute, and made no sense. As you pointed out he kept changing his thesis statement and bringing up lists of things and not finishing them, etc. It seemed like he did a bunch of cocaine backstage and then just made the whole thing up on the fly!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00507675129478557640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-44025751449086644062018-03-12T23:45:05.573-07:002018-03-12T23:45:05.573-07:00For.the recorr and for all to see - this is a film...For.the recorr and for all to see - this is a film that documents the transformation Tony facilitated on 911: https://youtu.be/o9Hmr7-c5dk<br />Relevant today as ever!Shaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01385835434378404696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-5519064328058005322017-12-18T20:39:59.342-08:002017-12-18T20:39:59.342-08:00I just listened to his ted talk as background nois...I just listened to his ted talk as background noise while working. I didn't pay any attention except to the 9/11 story at the end but was totally confused about the sequence of events in his story, shocked that he would refer to a zionist jew as living in the "occupied territory", tried to find the book on google to see what he was talking about but nothing turned up... but your blog post did. thanks for the in depth analysis.rosesarerednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-10720592843054424032017-10-31T18:00:29.155-07:002017-10-31T18:00:29.155-07:00Thanks for the affirmation. If any of Tony's ...Thanks for the affirmation. If any of Tony's "anonymous" fans reading this can clarify what he was saying, I think we'd all be grateful.The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-34222957169074615832017-10-23T21:19:41.670-07:002017-10-23T21:19:41.670-07:00Just watched the TED talk.. it was the most incohe...Just watched the TED talk.. it was the most incoherent talk I've ever seen. He didn't complete one list or make one single point clearly. He did say he was trying to cram 50 hours into 20 minutes but every TED speaker is required to summarise their life's work into a short time and almost all do it successfully. He could've picked one important topic and covered it respectfully rather than this crazy frenzy of words I just watched. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-83444477430131790242017-03-31T02:34:13.642-07:002017-03-31T02:34:13.642-07:00I've followed and studied him for over 30 year...I've followed and studied him for over 30 years. If you're a product of one of his seminars, I rest my case.The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-75706273936095486782017-03-30T20:13:43.724-07:002017-03-30T20:13:43.724-07:00Uninformed hater attracting ignorant haters...gott...Uninformed hater attracting ignorant haters...gotta love the internet smh. Do a little more research than just analyzing a genius you know nothing about who is doing his best to share and convey 4 days worth of information in 20 minutes. I've followed and studied Tony for 10 years, this blog post makes you look like a fucking clueless hater buddy, along with the bunch of ass clowns making comments and displaying their ignorance as well. Get well soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-34640133619847734372017-02-25T16:25:55.855-08:002017-02-25T16:25:55.855-08:00I just watched the talk, due to listening to a pod...I just watched the talk, due to listening to a podcast with this guy, and was hunting for more on his end story, and ended up here. I was not so put off by him, but I found him to be rambling at best with little to no discernible content. Then again, if he's used to doing 50 hour presentations, that may be why. I hope he doesn't just ramble on about emotion for 50 hours. Definitely think he is type who appeals to specific types. Despite all the talk of different countries, it did come off as pretty White and Western to me. (I've spent years in an Asian Confucian culture, where I don't think this talk would make much impression. 'Why' is already embedded in the highly competitive, filial, status-oriented, face-defending culture; and the paths one should pursue are specific and known. There's not the open-ended me-culture, or trying to figure out altruism because it's a much more collective and structured society.)Blinkdawghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12988681957277617598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-45493824498744408682017-02-15T23:31:48.037-08:002017-02-15T23:31:48.037-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Souljourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17572211391275194990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-1956112445327091352017-02-15T23:27:54.831-08:002017-02-15T23:27:54.831-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Souljourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17572211391275194990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-20351497568157069262017-02-07T18:36:54.902-08:002017-02-07T18:36:54.902-08:00Oh, and I forgot to mention that his story about 9...Oh, and I forgot to mention that his story about 9-11 just didn't ring 100% true, and it seemed to me that he was trying to capitalize off of that tragedy by glorifying and possibly embellishing his own reaction to it. <br /><br />That's still just a hunch -- nobody who was at his seminar on 9-11 has come forward to say whether or not it really happened the way he says it did.The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-39522519569402788202017-02-07T18:28:19.229-08:002017-02-07T18:28:19.229-08:00I think I agree with most of this -- I've alwa...I think I agree with most of this -- I've always said that TR has a mostly-good message and that he probably has done more good than harm in the world. I think I've even taken away some positive points from listening to his tapes. <br /><br />This just started after I listened to his TED Talk -- one of the most watched TED Talks of all time -- and decided to write up my thoughts on it. And those thoughts are basically that I found the talk itself illogical, disorganized, and nearly incoherent, and I was put off by the unnecessarily foul language. Of course, I tend to ramble a bit, and got into how he has always seemed like a phony to me, which got me to wondering whether others feel the same way. And I think the answer is some do, some don't.<br /><br />I don't know if it's a waste of time; if people read what I write and react to it, then maybe I've made some people think. That seems like a good thing -- maybe even something positive -- even if my readers disagree with me. <br /><br />And I do try to build even more positive things with the rest of my time :-)The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-40118606149420207892017-02-07T11:22:55.569-08:002017-02-07T11:22:55.569-08:00I get the points the cynics are raising, but even ...I get the points the cynics are raising, but even with their caveats, they still seem to miss the point. What many people need is something to get them off their butts, get past feeling sorry for themselves, and moving forward. TR is like some religions, but at least he isn't attacking Muslims and homosexuals, or getting people to blame others for their problems. So for all those it works for, GREAT. Why waste so much time trying to destroy his placebo effect? :-) Why not spend your energy trying to build something positive?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-18660138990965897102016-10-15T19:01:52.453-07:002016-10-15T19:01:52.453-07:00As I've said, I agree that he's a good spe...As I've said, I agree that he's a good speaker and he's clearly able to motivate some people. But the reason I tried to dissect his talk rationally in this post is because HE is claiming to be MORE than a motivational speaker, i.e., he's the "why guy," -- the guy people go to for deep scientific understanding of human psychology. Per the original post:<br /><br />==<br />In the talk he draws a strange distinction -- he is not there to motivate people, he's the "why guy" -- he figures out why you do what you do. He believes "emotion is the force of life." Not (just) self-interest, but emotion.<br /><br />He sees two major issues in his work -- the science of achievement, and the art of contribution, and the art of fulfillment. Ok, that sounds like three, I know. But maybe the last two are the same.<br />==<br /><br />His references to "science" in this speech, and the way he refers to motivational techniques as "technology" in his seminars, makes it clear that he, for one, thinks he is more than a mere "motivational speaker." As explained in the original post, I tend to think he is deluding himself, and perhaps some others as well.<br />The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-4406613448253103512016-10-10T04:35:15.389-07:002016-10-10T04:35:15.389-07:00Tony Robbins is being seen as quite controversial ...Tony Robbins is being seen as quite controversial lately, maybe he is what you say, but it's pretty clear you are not only analysing his words from a rational perspective ONLY (which is totally opposite to the goal here), but you are also failing to understand some parts and some references.<br />The fact that you don't understand them is not a solid base to criticise them.<br /><br />Tony Robbins might have some unclear or not totally consistent parts in his speeches, but we are dealing with long long hours of talking. <br /><br />What he brings out is probably motivation and energy, which do not need a perfect rational human.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-46417390769888430582016-07-25T08:35:04.259-07:002016-07-25T08:35:04.259-07:00Related to the foul language point that people hav...Related to the foul language point that people have been making -- I recently fired up a cassette player and started listening to some old cassettes of his Personal Power II course (mixed up with some Personal Power I's; not sure if there is a difference), and made some observations: <br /><br /><br />He goes out of his way NOT to use foul language -- there's one point where he is talking about breaking someone's pattern and he paraphrases the famous "NetworK" quote as "I'm not as heck and I'm not going to take it anymore" (actually, I think the quote is "this" not "it", but my point is he said "heck" instead of "hell"). So that was back when he was somewhat classy -- i.e. still on the way up, and still had to worry about what people would think of him.<br /><br />He also talks about his then-wife, the woman of his dreams (Becky) and how well they got along, and the systems they had in place to make sure their marriage would last. Guess what? It didn't.<br /><br />So the bottom line is that he was probably a narcissist back then, but he was also ambitious and he knew how to suppress the outward manifestations of his narcissism. Now, he just doesn't care, because he's so rich and successful he doesn't need to. In fact, he's so great that he can use foul language in front of an audience of eggheads that includes Al Gore. <br /><br />What he forgets is what a poor example he is setting, which in the end is inconsistent with the image of himself that he has been trying to create for so long.<br /><br />I'll admit (as I have before) that his tapes are engaging and probably can help some people. In fact, I'm trying to get my son to listen to them right now. <br /><br />But one thing jumped out at me this time around, which I don't think I've mentioned before. Apparently, for a while (and who knows, maybe still), he had latched onto the "manifestation" craze -- the idea that if you think positive thoughts, what you wish for will manifest itself. Wayne Dyer was big on this (but apparently couldn't wish away his cancer or whatever killed him), and of course it's the premise of the "Secret" and the whole idea that if you want something, you just need to ask the "Universe" for it. <br /><br />Anyway, at one of his goal setting seminars, one of his seminar participants made a goal of making $200,000 (I forget the number exactly) in the next year, and then went out and bought a lottery ticket and won exactly that. And then I think that participant did it again. And then another participant, having heard about this, said why stop at $200,000, and decided to wish for a one million dollar lottery ticket. And they got it. <br /><br />All the while that he is explaining this, Tony is saying he himself doesn't buy lottery tickets and it might not work for you etc etc - i.e. all the appropriate things. But in the end, it's one more message that all you have to do is come to one of Tony's seminars and you might get really rich, without even trying. So that's a bit of snake oil mixed up with some of the other self-help pablum that we all (admittedly) need to hear every once in a while, whether from Tony or from somebody else. <br />The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-4569338979052076362016-07-24T21:39:59.393-07:002016-07-24T21:39:59.393-07:00Agree on the foul mouth in his Netfix doc. Using t...Agree on the foul mouth in his Netfix doc. Using the<br />term mother.....is crossing the line. Also the women <br />that Tony has stand up in this movie are too good looking and the talk seems scripted. Where are the people of colour there? Maybe I did not see them for I stop watching for the curses of Tony was overboard.<br />He's super rich he should to free talks and forget<br />the army of set up staff. Gene Canada<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-48041057839181329942016-07-17T03:15:44.749-07:002016-07-17T03:15:44.749-07:00Thanks for writing. Agreed about the foul languag...Thanks for writing. Agreed about the foul language -- that suggested to me that deep down, he really doesn't practice what he preaches. <br /><br />You can't rise very high in life if you start off talking like that. Tony can do it because he has spent years building himself up, made millions of dollars, loves what he does, and continues getting paid handsomely for doing it. <br /><br />Nobody is going to not promote him or not vote for him because of his dirty mouth, so he's flaunting the fact that he can get away with it. I think it's the sadist in him that I mentioned somewhere above -- he seems to revel in the fact that he gets to do stuff that the rest of us don't get to do. <br /><br />And now that he's made it, he can do whatever he wants and doesn't really care about setting an example for others. The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-75189496419102328492016-07-16T20:01:24.190-07:002016-07-16T20:01:24.190-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-16509706512987936122016-07-16T18:04:12.555-07:002016-07-16T18:04:12.555-07:00Thanks for your article. I read some stuff of his...Thanks for your article. I read some stuff of his a long time ago and applied a lot of it to my life. After watching his latest documentary I was astonished to see the quantity of foul language. It seems he went from an educator to a guru. Really scary. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-50244680938167348412016-05-27T05:21:27.403-07:002016-05-27T05:21:27.403-07:00I was in downtown DC and saw the Pentagon smoke an...I was in downtown DC and saw the Pentagon smoke and was worried -- like everyone else -- about the airplanes that were still in the air that day. So maybe I (and Jon Stewart and a few million others living in NY and DC) took it more personally than you. But I remember being on the phone with someone from Chicago for whom the whole thing completely changed his perspective on life, even as we were speaking. And I still wonder how everyone at the Tony Robbins event could have seemed so calm, given that 50 or more of them had literally lost loved ones to the attacks. <br /><br />It's sad that the overall sleazy impression of Tony that I have makes me suspect that this might have been staged. That would be pretty awful, and I admit that objectively speaking, it is unlikely, since it could be so easily disproven, and it's not like Tony needs to make more money by putting his credibility at risk by releasing a fake video, and then bragging about it at a TED Talk. <br /><br />I just wish someone would step forward here to either prove or disprove it. If anyone who was there is reading this, please speak up - you can do it anonymously.The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-14250946060645091552016-05-25T13:35:25.628-07:002016-05-25T13:35:25.628-07:00As someone who was physically distant from the tra...As someone who was physically distant from the tragedy, my reaction was a lot similar... Probably the magnitude of what had happened hadn't sunk in yet. <br />And it sounds insensitive, but it is the way humans are i guess. I mean more people die of malaria Every Single Day in Africa than the deaths from 9/11 attacks. Every.Single.Day. So in a way we are all sociopaths.<br /><br />Also she said the guy's brother owned the 101st to 105th floor so probably 104th isn't a biggie. <br /><br />There's definitely some cheesiness about some of his stuff (especially from his early days), and he was for sure unstructured and a little too hurried in the Ted talk... But my opinion overall for Robbins is that there's so much more admirable about him compared to the average guy i meet on an average day, that I'd rather ignore the minor stuff which puts me off. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16545400794932609594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-74445172929348595772016-05-24T19:35:52.088-07:002016-05-24T19:35:52.088-07:00Yup, I think we can agree on two or three things a...Yup, I think we can agree on two or three things about Tony -- we can all learn from him and his example, he's very good at what he does, and he strikes some of us as sleazy. <br /><br />I agree it seems unlikely and it would be pretty brazen for him to have staged the whole thing. And I think you're right that Ann said almost the same thing to Tony and Larry. But there are some inconsistencies. On Larry King, the message she plays says he was on the 104th floor, whereas at Tony Robbins, she says he's on the 101st. Larry King also seems to think that the conference started on Thursday, but according to the narrator of the video, it was a nine-day leadership conference that started on Monday. <br /><br />But these are relatively minor inconsistencies, and maybe Tony's mischaracterization of what she said was an honest mistake. I don't think there's any way to tell for sure. It's probably my visceral reaction to him that makes me distrust him; that doesn't mean he isn't trying to tell the truth.<br /><br />Maybe the other thing that bugs me about it is that everyone, especially Tony, seems so calm and matter of fact, and analytical. I just remember Jon Stewart on the days after 9/11 -- his emotional reaction seemed so much more real than what I am seeing from Tony now. <br /><br />Just watching the video at the link you provided, I'm starting to think if it really is real, Tony must be some kind of a sociopath. The Price Fixerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16585377604470156643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-1187423178115160642016-05-24T02:08:34.537-07:002016-05-24T02:08:34.537-07:00Also as far as I can see, Ann said the same thing ...Also as far as I can see, Ann said the same thing to Tony and Larry. <br /><br />Looks like Tony added the part in the Tedtalk which Ann said on her own (about living in the present, etc.), and he inaccurately attributed it to Gary's phone call recording instead of Ann. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16545400794932609594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8559822487861319749.post-22397438445233164382016-05-24T02:02:57.077-07:002016-05-24T02:02:57.077-07:00Thanks for your prompt reply. I guess anyone who&#...Thanks for your prompt reply. I guess anyone who's famous has that kind of response from the audience.. <br /><br />It seems very unlikely that an event as public as the Hawaii seminar, with the huge number of guests that you can see in the audience, could have been staged. Also if it was staged, the video I have shared would have been made much more popular by Tony. It is actually really hard to find! <br /><br />I think of Tony in two ways: (a) as a coach, I like a lot of the stuff he shares but sometimes do find him sleazy... but then there is a market for that kind of stuff, and he caters to them and not necessarily me. <br /><br />(b) as an entrepreneur I think there's a lot to learn from how he's built his brand and business in a hugely competitive industry. He has shown up day after day, constantly evolved his content and marketing, built relations with influencers across various domains, built a brand that people pay a premium for, tirelessly marketed his services on whatever platform he could... A lot of the stuff that entrepreneurs do is common across industries, and from that perspective I think Tony is a great success story to learn from. <br /><br />Cheers!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16545400794932609594noreply@blogger.com