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Self-help doesn't work for a lot of reasons. It's funny how one self help method or book will help one person but not another. I hate the pseudoscience crap tha

Self-help doesn't work for a lot of reasons. It's funny how one self help method or book will help one person but not another. I hate the pseudoscience crap that passes for self help but Im not sure if just having a basis in fact and researched science is enough. Sometimes people just feel better when they attend a bullshit lecture by a self help author because of their charisma. I'm reminded of a guy who I almost worked for to build a website for his self help career. He told me he didn't have a degree in psychology but was a college grad. He would get his hands on real scientific research by real psychologists and then translate it into layman's terms and sell the results in the form of blog subscriptions, seminars, and ebooks. He pretty much told me point blank that he and many others were full of BS and doing what anyone who can read at a high school or college level can do. He also said that for him and his colleagues it was all about the money. It really upset me. I'm totally sure what my point is but I do know that just because a ton of people get burned by self help it doesn't mean none of it works. And I've seen some BS self help books actually help people too. The post is right on for the most part but I'm not sure why. There seem to be some variable we're missing.

itmag 15y ago
"Self-help doesn't work for a lot of reasons." Okay, so what is the proper way to live then? To be miserable, not try to transcend one's limitations, never seek to improve oneself, etc? It may seem like I'm arguing against a strawman here, but I am genuinely curious to hear your POV :)
- billpatrianakos 15y ago
  I don't know. I'm going to have to disappoint you and just admit that I have no clue. I can take a guess though. My comment wasn't for or against self help. Well, it was a little against it but all in all, the way I see it, you just go out and try something and hopefully you find so,etching that works before you get tired of beig burned by bad self help. I think the first thing all of us should do, especially if we need help, is admit that we know nothing and that theres a good chance there are no answers to your questions in any book, blog, or seminar.
- qohen 15y ago
  > Okay, so what is the proper way to live then? Some (very) old school answers in: "The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus": About the book (including some pithy quotations): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditations Get it here free, in a variety of formats: http://www.manybooks.net/titles/aureliusetext01medma10.html http://www.manybooks.net/titles/aureliusetext01medma10.html Also here (Long's translation): http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.html http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.html http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.mb.txt http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.mb.txt
  - itmag 15y ago
    I've read most of that book, and I do agree that having equanimity/unreactiveness is a worthy life goal.

itmag 15y ago

"Self-help doesn't work for a lot of reasons." Okay, so what is the proper way to live then? To be miserable, not try to transcend one's limitations, never seek to improve oneself, etc? It may seem like I'm arguing against a strawman here, but I am genuinely curious to hear your POV :)

billpatrianakos 15y ago
I don't know. I'm going to have to disappoint you and just admit that I have no clue. I can take a guess though. My comment wasn't for or against self help. Well, it was a little against it but all in all, the way I see it, you just go out and try something and hopefully you find so,etching that works before you get tired of beig burned by bad self help. I think the first thing all of us should do, especially if we need help, is admit that we know nothing and that theres a good chance there are no answers to your questions in any book, blog, or seminar.
qohen 15y ago
> Okay, so what is the proper way to live then? Some (very) old school answers in: "The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus": About the book (including some pithy quotations): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditations Get it here free, in a variety of formats: http://www.manybooks.net/titles/aureliusetext01medma10.html http://www.manybooks.net/titles/aureliusetext01medma10.html Also here (Long's translation): http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.html http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.html http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.mb.txt http://classics.mit.edu//Antoninus/meditations.mb.txt
- itmag 15y ago
  I've read most of that book, and I do agree that having equanimity/unreactiveness is a worthy life goal.