Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters | Golden Skate

Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

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GBMalwayz

Guest
Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

In another thread, people or person's thought Michelle would also wish people to do badly, or hate them as she is a true competitor, but what I didn't see, is that Michelle has said she doesn't watch her competitors skate because she "didn't want the karma of wishing them to fall."

She believes in the concept of karma. Does anyone think that her thought patterns on this subject have explained her longevity, and the fact she rarely falls? Does Michelle have a competitor "ethic" that is cultural, and very successful?

I wonder what her religious beliefs and world views are, and how they affect her life as a competition skater? So much is said about her skating, good or bad, but have any of her books talked about what she believes? Is she a Bhuddist? Anyone know?
 
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Grgranny

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

I read somewhere that she believes in Bhuddism but not sure. She has a necklace she wears whenever she skates, I think her grandmother gave it to her, and think it has something to do with Bhuddism.
 
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sk8m8

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

Perhaps it is her Spiritual beliefs rather than her religious ones that give her such grounding. I am often times reminded of that great saying, "going to place of worship doesn't make you a ________(buddist, christian, muslim, taoist, hindi, etc) any more than standing in a garage makes you a car."

What one needs to believe to have a fufilling life is INTENSELY personal and no one's business but your own(IMHO). It shouldn't be disparaged, nor should it be worn as a "badge of honor." I have noticed that those who tend to be the most content are people who seek to be happy rather than right.

The concept of Karma exist in almost every major faith under some name or tennant. Though I admire Ms. Kwan's calm demeanor and quiet reserve, whatever her personal beliefs may be are private. I will just enjoy her skating and know that the truth principle of "attraction rather than promotion" is in play with her.
 
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RED DOG45

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Bhuddism[/quote]

Oh, may I point out that it is spelled <strong>Buddhism</strong>?

Sk8m8 has a point, and I think he/she is right about personal beliefs...religion can be VERY subjective...people should be able to believe what they want to believe and say what they want to say without fear or being ridiculed, or even killed in some societies.
 
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FetalAttraction

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

According to another board, Michelle's necklace just says happiness on it. I'll need to see a clear picture of it to translate it for myself. So Michelle said the word "karma" once and has a gold necklace, that doesn't make her part of the cult that worships a fat guy squashing a lotus.
 
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GBMalwayz

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

I am just wondering, oh Red Dog, championship speller and typist.

Also "Karma's little helper," spirituality with a small s has just become a buzz word for new age bieliefs which don't constitute a faith, a set of beliefs, or a religion. I find it comical that so many say they are spiritual but not religious. Then one trys to find out what they believe and it's usually a few statements that are very non-commital. You have no idea how many people out there now say they are "spiritual or not religious."

This next statement will make FA perhaps geeful. I have been to the most Catholic 'match' site on the net, where one is asked very specifically what one believes on major tenets or dogmas of the faith. It is amazing how many "practicing catholics" (another assumption) have checked off no to "do you believe the churches teachings on birth control," etc and on "premarital sex" etc. The 'inconvenient beliefs' esp PM-Sex
are not accepted by many men.

The one logical thing in your post was the sentence about going to a building doesn't mean that one lives their faith. At least that is what it appears you were trying to express. I totally agree.

One more question karma, where is the little helper when a christian or christianity or catholicism is bashed. Try reading the off topic posts. Only a few individuals bothered to respond to the totally gross and offensive bashing.

This is all off the original topic, but then so were the last 3 postings. Have a nice evening!




The other thread was really long, but I did not see mentioned that Michelle believes in Karma, no doubt because of what her parents have taught her. Religion is not a big secret, nor is it intensely personal, i.e. their affiliation with some group or other. You didn't address the point and your intention is well noted.

FA, you seem to know about everyone's religion. I think because BhuddHism is a sacred belief to millions, as is Chritianity to me, please stop being so insensitive about putting God, anyone's God on a stick. So far no one but Ggranny has sincerely participated without vitriol.

And FA, do you care when people bash gay chinese guys? Probably not, as we have no proof that is who you are.
But you do care when YOU PERSONALLY feel attacked.

In fairness I must say, your post was milder than 'Dog'' and 'Karma.' I think it is a SINCERE question Karma, and no big secret given what she has said aloud in an interview.

As for people who wear their faith like a badge of honor - there are far worse things to do.

And where are you two when someone (like me) has been bashed for being 'religious'? Not very good karma being built I am afraid.

We make guesses and assumptions on skaters and skating all the time on this board and all others. Somethings we know, others we don't.

BTW, Dog, the spellchekecker feature doesn't work well and I find it childish and immature to point out misspellings or typos. People who are sensitive to others don't bother. WOW - big comeback, I always think when someone is so petty.

If you want to see some truly mean posts Karma, go to off topic. Nothing so say about all those? Again, bad karma.
 
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Grgranny

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

GBM must not have been on the board long or she would remember that I corrected spelling a lot, except lately. Anyway, I just assumed I must be wrong when I copied the spelling above and spelled it differently than I did. So, I should have just looked it up and corrected it. I still feel badly about making other people upset when I corrected them.:(
Of course, it's still like chalk squeaking when DEFINITELY is mispelled. :lol:
 
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GBMalwayz

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

I think the one time I saw u correct spelling Grgranny you did it with kindness. I've seen a lot of posts here, contentious one recently where spelling was attacked as if the poster were an idiot. It could have been typo.

It's the intent I talk about. Feel free to correct my spelling. Sadly it was once so good I won my campus spelling bee! I can see you are doing it from a good heart, you aren't trying to belittle the poster. I am prolly guilty of misspelling definitely, lol. But there are far worse things than being a poor speller! Also, too, we have posters that may be posting in english but it's their 2nd or third language,

But your moniker "Da spellin homegirl "shows you really enjoy good spelling. I'll try to do better.;)
 
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Joesitz

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

Granny - Please continue to correct spelling. I need it. It was never my best school subject.

What are we talking about here? La Kwan's attitude towards others. Who really knows? She is so mysterious. It will all come out in her autobiography in about 20 years from now. But the bios should start coming soon and the worse you talk about in the bios the more it sells.

Joe
 
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RealtorGal

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

<span style="color:navy;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:small;">I think the less a skater (or other celebrity) speaks, the more interpretation becomes imposed upon them. I remember before '98 Olympics, Michelle spoke about winning the gold medal as though her winning it was a done deal. She did NOT do so in a "diva" fashion; she just talked about how much she wanted to hold that gold medal in her hand and feel it--how she couldn't wait. I'll bet that haunts her and now she is EXTREMELY careful about what she says and especially about whom. Can't blame her one bit.</span>
 
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cianni

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

Michelle and her demeaner reminds me of a saying , A closed mouth is a Wise Mind. I suspect that she is wise enough to know that whatever she says will be twisted, taken out of context and used to bash and demean her. So I say A closed mouth is a wise mind. Good for her for not falling into the media ,fan trap.
 
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GBMalwayz

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

They are all Divas rgal at the level she is at. Katarina Witt knows how to sell a program. Michelle and Kristi are internal divas. That's neither a sin nor a crime. It comes with being rich and famous. (at least to us). Sarah has become a bit more Di-vah since Oly Gold.

But if it's the diva thread, we really need a Devo thread, as there will be found the biggest egos in skating.
 
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RealtorGal

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

Good points, GBM.

P.S. I did try to email you again.
 
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Grgranny

Guest
Re: Michelle Kwan's attitude about other skaters

Joe, you must have read my mind. I was just thinking as I was reading these posts that it sure would be interesting to read her biography and especially what she was thinking when. When that happens, there will be mobs at the bookstores.
 
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FetalAttraction

Guest
Instant Karma

Oh no! My throne of blasphemous controversy has been usurped by Red Dog's helpful spelling suggestions! I must plot a coup now, maybe I'll correct people's spelling in the name of Satan:evil: .

Anyways, time for me to educate:

By the way, there's another word for a belief in karma, it's called <a href="http://www.webref.org/psychology/m/magical_thinking.htm" target="top">magical thinking</a>, which is an official psychological term. It refers to things like simple good luck ritual, such as Michelle's gold necklace, or a belief that not doing certain things, such watching others compete, will lead to favorable outcomes. I'm sure either you yourself, or someone you know has good luck beliefs like these. It's the way witch doctors operate in Africa. The fact that the magical causes are inconsequential do not deter the believer from adhering to them.

If this all sounds quite like religion, it's because this is the basis of religion. However, it is not religion in a traditional sense, in that many "magical thinking" rituals have no intentional basis in any traditional religion.

Let's examine karma: The concept of karma as westerners use it is very, very far removed from its original religious context. In Buddhism, the scope of karmic influence stretches far beyond the next competition, or even a lifespan. Buddhists believe a person's previous incarnations accumulate karma, which determine their later reincarnations. Thus, a person who is doing well in this life must've done something good in a previous life to deserve it. A person who is in a less than desirable situation must've done something to deserve it in a previous life, too.

Karma, as westerners define it, is doing good deeds in this life that has pretty immediate pay offs. It's much more impatient. The commonality between this and Buddhism is a belief that there are cosmic forces that balances justice and repays people. It appeals to people's need for vindication in an otherwise random universe. It's like the heaven and hell of Christianity, only it's fortune and misfortune.
 
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Grgranny

Guest
Re: Instant Karma

I will say that's interesting, Fetal. Now go back and stir your pot.:lol:
 
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Kzarah

Guest
Re: Instant Karma

Dearest Grandmother,
First of all, you are very funny. Secondly, I appreciate you correcting my spelling. I should use spell word check, but I don't. I am lazy in writing my post. I never proof read them, which is why they often don't make sense, (spell check, sence). Thirdly, if you feel like correcting my grammer and puntuation, they go right a head.
Daniel and Little Lulu
 
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GBMalwayz

Guest
Re: Instant Karma

"Bubble Bubble toil and trouble":rollin:

Seriously,
I think that karma, the western interpretation or the true eastern explanation is not the same thing as magical thinking.

An example of magical thinking would be the hockey player's wife being told to wear the same shoes she wore to the "lucky' game where he had three goals.

Because religion in general was destroyed by communism in USSR, people grew in superstitions. Maria B wearing the white dress many times over the next 3 seasons that she won her world title in 99 is an example. She must've thought it was her 'lucky' dress and wearing it might get her a good outcome again.

If anyone read Katia's story, "My Sergei" she demonstrates many examples of superstitions, such as when a bird flies in the window, someone is going to die. Her Babushka was old and ailing and she did die that year. But she had cancer and the bird had nothing to do with that. Also, it rained on her wedding day, and that meant good luck. In hindsight she may now think rainy days bode bad luck. But the weather has nothing to do with how long a union will last, of course.

When people are lost at sea regarding what they believe, or are told "God does not exist" by the state, silly superstitions flourish. Including magical thinking, which is not the = of the karma theory, at all.

ITDA.
 
H

heyang

Guest
Symbol on Michelle's charm

I believe that the charm her grandmother gave her says 'Wind'. It's been mentioned in several interviews during the earlier part of her career.
 
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FetalAttraction

Guest
Re: Instant Karma

magical thinking - The conviction of the individual that his or her thoughts, words, and actions, may in some manner cause or prevent outcomes in a way that defies the normal laws of cause and effect.

That is the definition I linked to in my previous post, which I've now taken the pains to reproduce directly on the thread. As you can see, being religious or not has no bearings on the definition of magical thinking.

Karma, western or eastern, fits the definition of magical thinking completely. As I said, in either case, it's a belief that debts are owed and paid in luck and deeds, with some fantastic force doing the accounting. With the example of Michelle Kwan, she believes that merely thinking "fall!" while an opponent skates will make her lose. Gee, wouldn't it make more sense to observe other people in your discipline compete and hopefully learn something?

Magical thinking occurs within and without religions, only what I was so gently hinting at, is that religion is magical thinking. If the belief that a white dress or a necklace can ensure victory seems silly to you, then what about praying 5 times a day (Shalat)? Turning stoves off on Friday nights (the Sabbath)? Eating plain bread every Sunday (Communion)? All these are rituals intended to bring g-d, allah, god's blessings, good fortune in other words.

Good luck rituals have traditions and origins too, just like religion. Albeit, good luck rituals usually have personal origins, whereas religions usually have societal origins. For instance, "one time I wore mismatched socks and I found a quarter so now I always wear mismatched socks and bring a magnifying glass" is a micro version of "well Jesus and his gang got drunk before he made his holy human sacrifice so now we go drinking every Sunday."
 
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