YALT : Yet Another Landmark Thread

October 6, 2006 1:03 PM

Landmark Filter! Ok, so there have been a few discussions on Landmark Forum, what I would like to know, is what texts/books can one read to get at the main chunks of its philosophy?

Ok, so 2 friends of mine are into this. And I'd like to learn what exactly it teaches. Since I'm a book learning sort of person, and have no desire to drop that sort of cabbage to be brain wa-- I mean instructed, I'd like to read as much LM philosophy as I can. So far, the only book I've seen mentioned that is fodder for LM is the I, Ching. For those of you who have researched LM or have taken it, what books would more or less cover what LM is regurgitating?

posted by eurasian to religion & philosophy (9 comments total)

It doesn't really teach any of the philosophies per se, but I found Werner Erhard's (founder of est, precursor to Landmark Forum) biography by William Bartley III. He had a pretty notorious life, with all the usual ups and downs, and has been accused of some pretty raunchy stuff. Despite all that, it's a good read if you're interested in the program, how it began, or the life of the founder of this movement.

FWIW, I haven't taken est or Landmark Forum, only read this book (twice).
posted by nitsuj at 1:13 PM on October 6, 2006

er, that should read, "I found Werner Erhard's (founder of est, precursor to Landmark Forum) biography by William Bartley III quite interesting."

!!!
posted by nitsuj at 1:15 PM on October 6, 2006

I did Landmark Forum. It is bullshit. I walked out on the third and final day--I only wished I had walked out during the first hour when I first started smelling the bullshit.

Anyway, cosmicbandito is correct; Landmark is not very concerned with the content of their "philosophy" and focus instead on encouraging and enforcing cult-like behavior. When philosophical ideas were actually discussed they were generic and inaccurate simplifications of existentialism and egoism. If you read a short textbook on ethics (like this), you'd cover all the major philosophical ideas from which Landmark draws and you'll notice how badly they distort them. For even more reading on philosophy, check out this AskMe thread.
posted by mullacc at 1:59 PM on October 6, 2006

In one of the other Landmark threads, asavage mentions the Tao te Ching and Zeh Buddhism sources of Landmark's material.
posted by mullacc at 2:07 PM on October 6, 2006

I went through all 3 parts of the Landmark Forum curriculum for living, the communication curriculum, as well as the Introduction Leader's Program (ILP) a few years ago.

I agree they push too hard. And sometimes people who are trying to help out go overboard.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed every course I took, and would say it was definitely a life-changing, paradigm-shifting experience for me.

(If you are interested in it, I do highly recommend at least The Landmark Forum and optionally the Advanced Course. Those are the most profound, with the most unique content. Pretty much everything else covers the same stuff in a new way.)

During the year I was hanging around volunteering, I didn't meet one forum leader I didn't find amazing to talk to. (Again - the other volunteers ... not so much.)

Okay, with that all off my chest ... on to the question at hand.

I have found that The Last Word On Power and The Art of Possibility captured some of the feeling of The Landmark Forum.

Also, if you can get your hands on them, The CD sets offered on the website are really great, and also give a good taste of the experience.
posted by blahtsk at 2:39 PM on October 6, 2006

<derail>That's a nifty Google link you got there.</derail>
posted by Doofus Magoo at 2:54 PM on October 6, 2006

In one of the other Landmark threads, asavage mentions the Tao te Ching and Zeh Buddhism sources of Landmark's material.

Sorry, I mess up the link--here it is.
posted by mullacc at 2:59 PM on October 6, 2006

Lots of good links here, especially towards the bottom.
posted by johngoren at 5:31 PM on October 6, 2006

paradigm-shifting experience for me.

Are you sure it was paradigm-shifting, and not just bullshit? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, especially when you're sleep-deprived and isolated.
posted by odinsdream at 1:51 PM on October 25, 2006