The Scary Side of the Self-Help Industry

I read this article in my SELF magazine and thought I would share it. It brings up some very interesting points about all of the self-help books and gurus out there. I didn't realize that the self-help industry isn't regulated. EEK!!

Maybe I should become a self-help guru. I'll make millions! Muah-ahahahahahaa!!!

Anyway, all joking aside, this article is very good, though long, but it brings to light how some people can become so absorbed in bettering themselves that they don't see the danger signs.

Blindly following anyone or anything is not a good thing to do.

http://www.self.com/health/2010/09/scary-side-of-self-help

 

Just ask the silly, stupid women who follow Steve Harvey and bought his book and actually take relationship advice from him.

 

This is disturbing Bookie. But then I never understood people who can't think for themselves, or who need an instruction manual for their life. That's all self-help books and programs are. I'm not taking anyone's word for anything, I'm going to do my own research and draw my own conclusions, so self-help books or gurus are completely useless to me. But then I was raised with the pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality, so getting me to seek help elsewhere is darn near impossible. Not to mention I question entirely too much, blind obedience is a foreign concept to me.

Sadly, I think until people figure out that they don't need to starve themselves, or go on a Vision Quest, or shave their head to 'find themselves', self-help will continue to be very profitable. I think most people can look at themselves and see who they are, but they don't like what they see, so they feign ignorance and confusion. Frankly I'd rather just say 'yep I'm fucked up, and only I can fix that', than pay someone money to make me go trekking through the desert and then shave my head... it astounds me that there are that many lost people in the world, and I'm just real thankful I'm not one of them.

 

I went on my own "vision quest" and it didn't cost me a dime. :smt043 And it didn't put me in any type of danger.

I do think that most people are too afraid to look into themselves for the answers because they're afraid of what they'll find there. So, they become "brainwashed" by an outside person (let's face it, some of the guy's followers sound brainwashed), so that person can tell them what they should be looking for.

But like one of the professionals they interviewed, self-help isn't an all-encompassing thing....what works for one person won't work for someone else.

People are too afraid to be accountable for their own actions.

I thoroughly enjoyed my "me" time that I took the last few days. I was, for the most part, utterly alone with my thoughts and it felt great. I got so much clarity from doing that. But just because what I did worked for me, doesn't mean I could write a book and sell it as the be all end all of self-help.

People have to find their own individual path to enlightenment.

I decided to finish my little journey of self-discovery by seeing "Eat Pray Love". It was an okay movie, but there was a line in there that basically said (I don't remember the wording) that the ruins in your life are basically the starting off point to a transformation.

Just stay connected to yourself and you'll find your center. You don't need anyone else to find it for you, because likely, they won't know where YOUR center is....

 

I agree with you on that Bookie. If I ever need to adjust my perspective, that's not something anyone else can help me with, I just need to be alone. I am rarely alone however, I pretty much have family around at all times, and while I love them very much there comes a time when you just need solace. Fortunately I have a couple business trips coming up in September and October, so I can get my own 'vision quest' time in. :smt043

 

the problem with most people are exactly some of the points you guys mentioned. I will add this...a lot of people are very narcisstic. they are people who will trample on other people to achieve their goals and think it is ok.

there are people who just dont have goals or a plan to achieve em. and lastly people dont know how to make good decisions.

example about decision making: good decision -- going to college bad decision just choosing a degree but not knowing what you really want to do in life or choosing a career because it has seems cool or whatever.

or buying a house because it is you dream and not if you can afford it right now nor making fundamental financial plans to afford it before buying. you just bought it for dumb reasons to compete with friends or whoever