I’m an avid self-help book reader. I can’t get enough of them. So I was in complete and utter disbelief when two family members said they didn’t like self-help books. My eyes nearly popped out of my head and I was ready to give them earfuls.
Instead, I paused, took a few deep breaths – something recommended to me in a self-help book – and decided to ask a few questions before jumping to conclusions.
The first answer I received was that self-help books can be contradictory, leaving the reader more confused than when they started, perhaps even feeling bad about themselves. While I didn’t want to admit this, I had to agree.
The early bird gets the worm. Haste makes waste.
Opposites attract. Birds of a feather flock together.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Out of sight, out of mind.
So which is it?
While some books are opinion pieces, others contain scientifically studied information fact-checked by doctors and other professionals. Meanwhile, other books claim the exact opposite.
Confusing.
The other answer I received was that self-help books claim to change your life — as if what you’re doing right now isn’t good enough. Or that if you follow these five simple steps, your life will improve tenfold. Life is much more complex than five simple steps.
I’ve picked up a few self-help books and then slammed them shut because they were either too go-getter or not go-getter enough. Whichever go-getter it was, it left me feeling like I was doing the wrong go-getting, which felt really belittling.
So are these books useful?
To some, they are. We respond to things differently and there is no one size fits all. While one may spend their evenings leisurely reading about awakening their inner being, others may spend time in nature or with friends, which can also awaken our inner beings.
After reading a few Reddit threads, I was pleased to read how many individuals found self-help through fiction. I would agree – the books that have most changed my life that I think about several times a month, if not weeks, are fiction.
To read self-help books or not to read self-help books, that is the question.
I suppose, dear reader, it’s up to you.
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