
Why Self-Help Books Don’t Work…and What Does - gw666
http://greggwilliams.co/why-self-help-books-dont-work-and-what-does/
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jj-abram
The author is correct; self-help books tend not to be that helpful. However,
that is because self-help books never go into the "how" and only the bigger
picture. I think the best types of self-help books are ones that deal with
ethics and philosophy. Greek and Roman authors such as Epictetus, Seneca,
Aristotle, and Marcus Aurelius are really good at explaining and answering the
big questions. More importantly, they all give the "how" and the specifics
that need to be done in order to improve your life.

I especially like Epictetus's idea on how to change one's habits. He states
that if one wants to make a change in his life, he must realize to eliminate
all past opinions and impressions. When one has a fresh mind that is open to
new ideas, change can be made. Also, he explains that each time one makes a
bad habit, a mental cut is made in one's brain. That cut will continue to grow
and grow, until it forms a wound. Don't let that happen, says Epictetus. Think
each day in every moment the change you want to make. The time is now, not
tomorrow.

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mildbow
There are 2 main pitfalls with self-help books:

1\. they just give you generalized info with nothing concrete on how to
implement it day to day.

2\. they are like taking vitamins: it only helps if you are deficient in that
specific area. And over consumption is downright harmful.

The only fix I've found for #1 is "The Slight Edge". While it's overly verbose
etcs, the main takeaways are important:

* small choices matter and they add up.

* it's easy to make the right choice, but it's easier to make the wrong choice.

The only fix for #2 is having goals and tracking how well each philosophy
works for you based on that goal framework (but that's a hard thing in
itself).

