The Majority of Self-Help Doesn’t Help
Here’s why and what it taught me.
I binge read self-help the same way I eat potato chips.
I’m probably going to get crucified by the self-help gods for writing this, especially as I write some self-help myself. But it needs to be said.
A lot of self-help sucks and it doesn’t need to. It’s not because the person sharing their point of view on life or how to progress further in a particular field sucks. That’s not the case.
Self-help can come from anybody. In fact, self-help that comes from a nobody can often be the most helpful. The world doesn’t need more self-help written by people who seem to have been an immaculate conception.
You Want to Have Lived It
A well-known publication once said to me, “you’ve got to have lived the self-help advice you’re sharing.” Otherwise, how do you know the advice is helpful?
All you’re doing if you haven’t lived the advice is sharing a list of neatly packed lessons in a listicle that were directly copied from a book you only half-read. There’s not a tonne of value in that. What the audience wants to know is how you applied the advice.
Treat self-help like you’re a lab rat in an experiment.
