I saw this post on Metafilter about the Landmark Education Corporation and was reminded of a close friend calling me up one day and broaching the subject of a "wonderful transformation" that had occurred in him recently. Naturally, I was interested in what he was saying. He said about how we are insincere in our relationships and how we alone can make our relationships work.

After beating around the bush for a few more minutes, he told me about something known as The Landmark Forum. He gave me sketchy details about what the forum was all about and asked me to accompany him as his guest for a guest session one evening. He also told me how his parents had taken the course too.

Now, I detest all these so called self-help or self-improvement thingies. The prime reason is that if you need someone else to help you do it... then it no longer is "self" improvement, is it?! So, I did not commit and just let the matter hang. I did not refuse outright because I could feel that my friend was pretty passionate about this thing. My friend did not press on further. But he started calling me regularly after that. Each time he would ask me if I could join him for the guest session.

But once I decide to do something... I can be pretty stubborn at times. So, many calls later, I guess my friend took the hint and stopped asking me for the Landmark Forum session.

And now... today, I read about some of the feedback by those who attended the Landmark Forum and I was shocked!!

While its true that it "may have" helped lakhs of people worldwide, I'm glad I didn't go for it!! The accompanying risk (that I now discovered existed) just wasn't worth it.