Comments on: Can’t Believe Everything You Read: 1953 Yale Goal Study

By: Zen Is Stupid

Zen Is Stupid — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:50:22 +0000

[...] By the way, that Harvard study where successful people who wrote down their goals is an urban myth. [...]

By: Fact or Fiction? The Truth About The Harvard Written Goal Study — Sid Savara . com - Personal Development, Maximizing Productivity and Life Hacking

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:34:19 +0000

[...] I was first tipped off that this study might not exist by Frank over at The Happy Rock who referred me to his post Can’t Believe Everything You Read: 1953 Yale Goal Study. [...]

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:44:24 +0000

I agree with your point of view – I would rather have the truth.

Some people tell parables as though they are truth, when most people know they are not. There are a lot of good parables out there that drive home a good valuable lesson, but if someone is going to sell me something – I prefer it to be the truth!

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:49:32 +0000

@Shadox and Pinyo – I agree to a point that often the story or the speaker is the motivating factor and that the actual truth doesn’t play a big part.

But as a consumer of information, I want to know when stories are fake. Someone isn’t allowed to sell me something by using false advertising. Why, because it is misleading. If someone says writing goals will produce “X”, look at this example “Y”. If “Y”isn’t true, I want to know before I invest energy in writing goals if it really isn’t proven to make a difference.

By: Carnival of Personal Finance #127 - Wonders of the World | Moolanomy

Carnival of Personal Finance #127 - Wonders of the World | Moolanomy — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:04:58 +0000

[...] Happy Rock presents Can’t Believe Everything You Read: 1953 Yale Goal Study — The Happy Rock shares the result of a research which debunk the 1953 Yale goals study that [...]

By: Pinyo

Pinyo — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:51:55 +0000

Hey, as long as it works. People likes to hear powerful stories, and if there isn’t one readily available, making one up is just as good.

By: Shadox

Shadox — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:12:36 +0000

ha! I love urban legends. I find that it’s all about the confidence with which your chosen guru utters his words of wisdom. No so much about the actual content, or truth for that matter.

I think that’s what Stephen Colbert calls “truthiness”.

By: Tim Diehl

Tim Diehl — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:32:03 +0000

I knew it! Ha! No more goal setting for me!!! Let’s hear it for blind optimism about the future!