Monday, September 1, 2008

Anyone watch Oprah today?

It was Elizabeth Gilbert talking about "Eat, Pray, Love." I missed about the first 10 minutes. Probably a repeat, but I don't get to watch Oprah every day, being at work most of the time. ; )

Richard from Texas was in the audience & spoke briefly. He wasn't at all as I had pictured him. I envisioned someone more grizzled, with a Texas cowboy drawl, kind of like Sam Elliott. : )

She talked about the "selfish" label. (I hope I'm remembering this correctly.) She said the Chinese have two words that mean "selfish." One means "that which benefits the self." The other means "greedy, harmful to others, etc." Somehow, in our society, we've mashed the two translations into one. If you're benefiting yourself but not doing harm to others, how can that be selfish? I thought of all the times I've heard childless or infertile people called "selfish." How are we harming others by choosing to live without children or choosing to pursue a family by doing infertility treatments?

Did anyone else see the show?

9 comments:

  1. Hi Loribeth - I just finished watching it. I really liked that part about selfishness, too. It's a distinction I've always tried to make but never found such a good way to explain it. She is totally right on that our culture has messed up by putting those concepts together. I also really liked how she seemed so humbled by all the feedback - frankly, it was kind of weirding me out, all these women calling her book "my Bible" and trying to replicate parts of her journey for themselves. But she seemed really grounded with it all, and just seemed to see all of that in the best light. I think at one point she said she wrote the book as a ladder to get herself out of a dark place, and that it was really beautiful to see other people using it in the same way.

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  2. I saw the show when it first aired (months ago) and while I didn't connect the infertility and selfishness, her response was for me eye opening. Language particularly English can be very limiting as a form of expression, I like the fact that the Chinese have two words for it. I agree that what she did was self serving in that it benefited her but not selfish in that it hurts others. Infertility treatment is much like that as you pointed out. It benefits us but it doens't really hurt others.

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  3. I have seen the show in the past, but I didn't start reading the book until recently. I know a woman very much like her - who gave up her secure job and belongings and went on a spiritual journey. Everyone thought she was crazy. I always admired her - it takes great strength to do that and not give a crap what other people think.

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  4. I saw it a few months ago. I liked her and the book. I agree with what she said. And liked it. Like annacyclopedia, I did think it was weird how the women in the audience seemed to worship her. Can you imagine some woman divorcing her husband and using that book as an excuse? I am sure it has happened somewhere!

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  5. Wow, I am so glad you shared that!

    I had authored the "selfish" question from our book tour and so it is neat to get this new thought on it. Really opens up a new line of thought doesn't it? :0)

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  6. I just bought that book after reading your and others' reviews of it here in blogland. The very day after I purchased it, my mom called to tell me she just started reading it and loved it!

    Right now I'm reading "never to be a mother" but "eat, pray, love" is next on my list, for sure :)

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  7. I missed the Oprah show, but I've read the book. Frankly, I liked the "Eat" section the best. I thought parts of the "Pray" section was good, but parts of it were a bit pretentious for someone who isn't a spiritual teacher. The thing that's kinda hollow about the whole book is that she had a contract to write the it before she went on her trip. I'd be more impressed if it were the other way around. Otherwise, the whole thing feels a bit contrived. But I guess you weren't asking me my review about the book!

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  8. How interesting. I didn't see the show, but I love the idea of having these two separate words.
    I just came over from your comment on my blog and we must have been breathing the same air recently or something!

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