I leafed through a copy of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, just to see what all the excitement was about. What first strick me was the series of descriptions given to the many obscure contributors: “metaphysician and marketing specialist,” “visionary,” “personal empowerment advocate,” “creator of prosperity and human potential programs.”
The secret is a so-called “law [...]

In Jean-Paul Sartre’s drama No Exit, the character Garcin exclaims towards the end of the play:

So this is hell. I’d never have believed it. You remember all we were told about the torture-chambers, the fire and brimstone, the “burning marl.” Old wives’ tales! There’s no need for red-hot pokers. Hell is — other people!

The context [...]