Do Self-Help Books Really Help? My Take and Personal Experiences
Everything seems to become a fashion and trend these days. Right from what we eat and wear to what we read. Reading is certainly a good habit, but nowadays, people judge us not just by the cover of the book we read, but also by the genre we choose.
I still remember when a relative came to my house and saw my book collection (though I don't have a vast collection, I do have a decent number of more than 50 books). Out of these, 45 plus are fictional stories and the remaining 5 fall under the self-help/non-fiction genre.
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After seeing my book collection, the look she gave me was so harsh; she smirked and said, “Reading fictional books won’t make you a true reader.” Seriously, since when did the Indian government or the book blogger community implement this rule?
She continued, "I read self-help books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, Atomic Habits, The Power of Habit, Chanakya Niti, and the list goes on. People who read nonfiction books are getting richer—take Jay Shetty, Elon Musk, etc."
I stopped her with one question: "Have you personally seen them reading those books? I could easily lie and say I prefer self-help nonfiction over fiction because all those books teach us only one thing: consistency, positive thinking, healthy habits, don't procrastinate, and so on are the ways to attain success. So I can easily bluff and you couldn't find out that soon as well"
I asked her a simple question, How can one maintain consistency and positive thinking 24/7?
Many, including her and her books, answered as a discipline and a timetable.
My follow-up question was: "How?" Even the books I've read haven’t provided a satisfying answer for that including her.
She said something and changed the topic.
Here I’m not saying those books are bad; I’m just pointing out that they’re similar and might not work for everyone, as each of us has a unique nature. We need to train our minds and bodies on a path that suits our individuality to attain success in life.
For example, let’s say I am a procrastinator and a lazy person. A self-help book 'Eat That Frog' suggests doing the most difficult task first. I genuinely tried, but I got TIRED within a week and started to hate that work. It’s not just about my body; my mind, time, finances, living situation, the place where I stay, with whom I say all play a role in completing a task (not only that I tried several books, and none gave satisfactory results).
If I consider going to the gym the toughest task, how can I make it my first priority and do it first? I have to prepare food for my family and deal with water scarcity by chasing after the corporation’s supply when it arrives. I can't pack my gym bag and go to the gym when I get a water supply of 1 hour per day.
Okayyyyyyy, enough of my rambling. I know I talk a lot, but I speak the truth. Self-help books can motivate us, but motivation alone won’t ensure success. Think about successful people in your friends or family. Reflect on their path to success: it’s a combination of hard work and their unique approach.
Identify your own unique path, to achieve success in your life. Having said that, when you need a slight boost of motivation, these books can definitely be helpful.
Finally, for the question Do Self-Help Books Really Help? the answer is Not Really and Definitely Not Always.
Agree with you. They don't help unless the reader wants help genuinely.
ReplyDeleteYes, thats my exact point about the self help books
DeleteBooks are written in all possible ways and with all research. But it will not help until we want to implement. I agree with you. And to be a good reader it is important what you read. But yes, what you read is reflect your personality.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Yes, but as we all know the basics (as a reader) I think the basics from these books won't be of that useful.
DeleteUgh I judge people who judge other people's reading choices. What a silly thing to judge someone on. I'm not a big fan of the self help genre either. I think its short sighted to tell someone to do something that worked for you.
ReplyDeleteExactly, that's my point
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